January has arrived. Let’s close our eyes, click our heels, and maybe when we open them it will be June.

Just tried it. Oh well. Ugh.

But, as we are already a couple of days in, we try always offer you a sports cure for the January blahs with some key dates/events this month, so here goes:

TODAY

It’s the final day of the NFL regular seaosn, seedings to be determined, including with a 4:25 p.m. Patriots-Dolphins matchup at Gillette Stadium. Gee anything new with the Patriots? Well they could grab the No. 1 AFC seed with a win and a Denver loss. Anything else?

TUESDAY, JAN. 6

It will be an old fashioned girls-boys basketball doubleheader at Nashua’s Belanger Gym with Nashua South vs. Alvirne. The South girls are one of the best in the area, and the boys game features a great big man battle between South 6-8 junior Daniel Karavanic and 6-6 Alvirne senior Garrett Hall. A good take.

Also, if you’re up for a little road trip, Hollis Brookline boys hoop is returning to the scene of the crime, last year’s quarterfinal loss at Sanborn.

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 7

Celtics fans, this is your chance to see perhaps the best player in the NBA today, or at least the most impactful: Denver’s Nikola Jokic. If you caught that 56-point triple double on Christmas night you know what we’re talking about. Game time is 7 p.m.

THURSDAY-FRIDAY, JAN. 8-9

It’s the CFP semifinals. The Fiesta Bowl is Thursday night at 7:30 p.m. and the Peach Bowl is Friday, also at 7:30. You can see what’s happening here: the college game is staying far and away from the NBA.

SATURDAY, JAN. 10

Girls hockey fans need to be at Conway Arena at 2:10 p.m. for the only two local girls teams, Bishop Guertin vs. the Souhegan-Nashua Storm. The Cards have really hit hard times while the Storm have surprised some with a couple of wins before the holiday break.Should be a good one.

It’s also Wild Card Weekend.Playoff NFL football. Will the Patriots be playing this day or night? Stay tuned.

And, another local event, the annual Nashua Hall of Fame Wrestling Tournament at Nashua South. They’ll have the mats rolled out the night before and the event begins at 9 a.m.

MONDAY, JAN. 12

A rare Monday night Division I boys hoop battle with the Bishop Guertin boys at Pinkerton. The Astros started the season off at 4-0, while the Cards are looking to get into the level with more quality wins. Should be a good one, with a 6 p.m. tip-off.

There’ll also be a Monday nighter to end the NFL’s Wild Card Weekend, so stay tuned, Patriots fans, if they have to play in this round. Brrrrr.

TUESDAY, JAN. 13

More high school hoop, Milford-Souhegan style. You’ll have to choose: the boys game is at 7 p.m. at Souhegan, the girls game is at 6:30 p.m. at Milford. Both should be intense, with all four programs seeing their matchups as a good barometer going forward.

Also, the Bruins have a big joust that night at 7:30 p.m. at TD Garden vs. the Detroit Red Wings. If you haven’t checked lately, as of this writing the Red Wings were atop the Eastern Conference, or one of the top teams, enjoying their best season in several years.

SATURDAY, JAN. 17

The biggest hockey game of the day will be Bishop Guertin at Concord at 5:30 p.m.at Concord’s Everett Arena. Yes, another road trip if so desired for a rematch – with different teams, for sure – of last year’s Division I finals. They’ll also be at Skate 3 for an evening game on Feb. 4.

But for a very good all-local contest, check out the Nashua Knights vs. the Merrimack-HB-Derryfield WarHawks at Conway Arena at 4:20 p.m.

But it’s also AFC-NFC Divisional Weekend, so the Patriots could be playing a home game Saturday or Sunday. No telling whether either will be in prime time.

MONDAY, JAN. 19

Yes, football keeps going on a mid-January Monday, the final college football game of the year with the CFP National Championship Game in Miami.

Who will be there? We say Ohio State vs. Oregon. Sound familiar? Of course by the time you read this both could be out already.

Also, the Celtics will be at the Detroit Pisttons for an 8 p.m. game. How the heck did the Pistons, dregs of the league two years ago, get so good so fast?

FRIDAY, JAN. 23

It’s girls/females night out. First, in girls hoop, Milford will be at Oyster River, a rematch of last year’s title game, and the Bobcats started off the season 3-0. Right around here it’ll be Portsmouth at Nashua South, which should be interesting to say the least.

Also, continuing the female sports theme, women’s hockey fans should head to Conway Arena when the Rivier Raiders take on Anna Maria in a MASCAC game at 7:40 p.m. (also Youth Hockey Night). Of the four Raider winer sports teams, women’s hockey may just be the best one. It’s one of only two home games this month.

SATURDAY, JAN. 24

Ready for a great, fun event? It’s the Nashua Middle School Boys and Girls Basketball City Championship tournament. Four teams will compete for the city crown: McCarthy, Fairgrounds, Pennichuck and Saint Christopher.

It’s all at Nashua North, semis in the morning and finals in the early afternoon. It’s one of the most well-attended events of the winter season in the city.

The Bruins, meanwhile, host the Montreal Canadiens. If you remember their previous battle on Dec. 23, it was a war that turned into the Montreal rout. That doesn’t sit well with the B’s or their fans. Should be a great atmosphere at TD Garden.

SUNDAY, JAN. 25

It’s NFL Conference Championship Day. You remember this, Patriots fans? It was an annual event until 2020. It may be back, with the AFC title game the early one at 3 p.m., followed by the NFC Title Game at 6:30 p.m. Then we’ll know who plays in Super Bowl LX in Santa Clara. Getting excited about the possibility, aren’t you.

TUESDAY, JAN. 27

The game of the night could very well be the all-local Division II boys basketball battle between Hollis Brookline and Souhegan in Amherst. A rematch of last year’s prelims, won by the Cavs, as both teams see themselves as title contenders. Game time is 6:30 p.m.

But there’s more: the Merrimack boys come to Nashua South that night, also at 6:30, the Tomahawks featuring one of the area’s best scorers in Nate Johnson. It’s a big night of local hoop, for certain.

FRIDAY, JAN. 30

The biggest local event of the month for Nashua: The Battle of the Bridge basketball doubleheader, girls at 5:30, boys to follow around 7ish. The twinbill is at Nashua North. Also that night the BG boys and girls, different venues, take on Merrimack. Great way to just about wrap up the month, right?

SATURDAY, JAN. 31

Head to Skate 3 to check out the Nashua Knights vs. the Alvirne-Milford Admirals at 4:10 p.m. It should be a very evenly matched inter-divisional game.

And that will take care of your January, sports fans, give or take a few things we may have missed.

Maybe not such a bad month after all? Jury’s still out.

Tom King can be reached at tking@nashuatelegraph.com, or on X @Telegraph _TomK.