Some might call it fun. Others might call it a gluttony for punishment. We call it the high school hockey crystal ball.

Buckle up, Hockeyland. We’re back.

We’ve waited too many months for the parity and suspense of hockey season to return, but it’s finally arrived for what looks like should be another thrilling year – especially if the winter’s opening weekend is any indication.

For those unfamiliar, the crystal ball is a weekly preview of seven or eight games to watch in both boys and girls MIAA hockey, while attempting to navigate what to expect. We take a stab at predicting the winner of these games, but the main objective is to highlight premier matchups. Most of the time, we’re aiming to find the nail-biters with league or state tournament implications.

The start of the season is still fresh, with so much still unknown. But we’re not shying away from the challenge, and we’re hoping to improve on last year’s .573 win-percentage from what proved to be a wide-open year.

First, some ground rules. Predicted winners are always listed in all-caps. No team is listed twice in one week for their matchups, though sometimes there are special exceptions. And lastly, we expect no slack for wrong predictions.

Without further ado …

LAST YEAR’S RECORD: 80-58-12 (.573)

**PREDICTED WINNERS in ALL-CAPS**

BOYS

Wednesday

HINGHAM at St. John’s Prep, 6:40 p.m. — You can always circle this annual early meeting of Div. 1 juggernauts. It’s the season opener for both and will be a nice tone setter. Cam McKenna and a deep group of experienced players look to start strong for the Harbormen.

St. John’s Shrewsbury at POPE FRANCIS, 6:50 p.m. — Pope Francis just hung with reigning Div. 1 state champion Catholic Memorial despite getting heavily out-shot in an eventual tie. It now gets the reigning state finalists who should have plenty of pop despite losing key members from last year.

Braintree at WEYMOUTH, 7 p.m. — We love a public school rivalry matchup, and this is one of the better ones. Wildcats look to continue early momentum from a big win over Needham, but Braintree is always a major hurdle and should be tough on D.

ST. MARY’S (L) at Archbishop Williams, 7:10 p.m. — The Catholic Central League title race could come down to these two again, and both have big ambitions come Div. 1 state tourney time. An early edge and statement is on the line, with new goalies in each net.

Saturday

ESSEX TECH at Lynnfield, noon — The new Ryan Sheehan regime started with a win in the Hawks’ opener – a rematch of last year’s Div. 3 state quarterfinal loss to Bedford. Lynnfield figures to again be in the mix in March, so this is a chance to prove itself as a threat after losing signature firepower from last year. Add in that it’s a Cape Ann League tilt for some extra juice.

Dover-Sherborn/Weston at WINTHROP, 3 p.m. — The defending Div. 4 state champs are hungry for a repeat and look fit for the part early on. Dover-Sherborn/Weston is always a good measuring stick in that chase.

SCITUATE at Whitman-Hanson, 5:20 p.m. — Both squads feature plenty of pop in their respective hunts for Div. 3, and Div. 2, contention. This is a Patriot League crossover tilt to monitor.

GIRLS

Wednesday

Bishop Stang at BISHOP FEEHAN, 4:30 p.m. — Shamrocks circled this matchup as soon as it was scheduled, the rematch of last year’s Div. 1 state quarterfinal loss. Both teams feature some of the best goaltending in the state. Feehan will need superstar Georgia Murray & Co. to step up for a bounce-back loss in the season opener.

Woburn at MALDEN CATHOLIC, 5 p.m. — Woburn impressed last year in Div. 2 and figures to compete with the best again now that it’s realigned back to Div. 1. Lancers have a chance to prove it’s still in the elite class despite graduating top talent.

ALGONQUIN at Canton, 5 p.m. — Two programs that always seem to be competitive. The Titans rolled in their first game under new head coach Will Downs, look for more early momentum coming off a surprising early exit in last year’s state tournament.

St. Mary’s (L) at ARCHBISHOP WILLIAMS, 5:10 p.m. — Catholic Central League rivals collide early. Both are relatively young, but that doesn’t matter. This is a matchup with significant Div. 1 implications on the line. St. Mary’s lost little from a rebuild last year, but Archies returns a bit more.

HPNA at Billerica/Chelmsford, 7 p.m. — Never count out either in the always cutthroat MVC/DCL Large. Both top lines should stack up well against one another. This could go either way.

Saturday

Andover at METHUEN/TEWKSBURY, 5 p.m. — Another classic MVC/DCL Large matchup that could come down to a goal. Methuen/Tewksbury was better than everyone in one-goal games last year, with returning star goalie Lydia Barnes a big part of that.

Pembroke at MARSHFIELD, 6:20 p.m. — The Patriot League gave us some of the tightest competition last year, and most members qualified for the state tournament. A win here would be big for a Marshfield group that reached the Div. 2 state semifinals, against a Pembroke group that took the Judy Gormley Cup to kick off its season.