The boys and girls of winter are set to face off at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the annual Congressional Hockey Challenge in Arlington, Va.  

This is the sixth year that “Team Lawmakers,” comprised of members of Congress, federal staffers and campaign committee operatives, will cross hockey sticks with  “Team Lobbyists.”  

The record headed into Wednesday is 3-2, in favor of the Team Lobbyists.  

The game will take place at the Kettler Capitals Iceplex in Arlington. It’s just a few blocks off  from the Ballston Metro. You can buy your $10 tickets here . Doors open at 6 p.m. and the puck drops at 7 p.m.  

It all started in back in 2009, with a group of lobbyists and Hill staffers who played informal Monday night pickup hockey.  

They eventually decided to channel their enthusiasm for the sport into a charity game modeled after the Congressional Baseball Game. Hence, the Congressional Hockey Challenge was born and it supported the Fort Dupont Hockey Club, a youth hockey group in Southeast Washington.  

Eventually, the National Hockey League and the Washington Capitals got involved, and the charities expanded to the NHL Scholarship  of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund  and  USA Warriors Hockey  (an injured veterans rehabilitation hockey program.)  

This game is not for the faint of heart.  

Illinois Democratic Rep. Mike Quigley is quite boastful about the fact that, over the course of his 48-year hockey career, he lost two teeth and has had six injury-induced surgeries.  

Indiana Republican Rep. Larry Bucshon has similar wounds. Bucshon picked up the game late in life, thanks to his son’s interest. He missed the 2012 season due to a practice injury.  

“I tore my left ACL in the second practice before the game two years ago,” he said. “I had to have surgery to fix it.”  

Bucshon also marveled at the the cordial relationships that developed on his team.  

“It’s a good event where partisanship isn’t the issue,” Bucshon said.  

This year, the Team Lawmakers roster expanded to include members of the Canadian Parliament. The hope is to expand the concept internationally.  

The biggest “bummer” in recent years, according to one of the Republican players, is Secretary of State John Kerry’s ascension to the Cabinet. As a senator, Kerry was the undisputed star and brought a great deal of attention to the game, but his teammates attest to authentic athletic skill.  

“We miss John Kerry. … I respect the fact that he had a couple of replacement surgeries and he’s still out there. He showed up to staff meetings with bruises and stitches,” Quigley said. “It’s his fault he took the job. As postmaster general, he could play the game.”  

But since he joined the Cabinet, his hockey availability is basically dependent on world peace.  

This year, it is Ukrainian turmoil keeping him off the ice.  

“I blame Putin,” Quigley groused.  

Here are the rosters:  

Team Lawmakers  Team Captain: Secretary of State John Kerry
Head Coach: Jack Way of the Federal Emergency Management Agency
Rep. Larry Bucshon, R-Ind.
Rep. Brian Higgins, D-N.Y.
Rep. Patrick Meehan, R-Pa.
Rep. Erik Paulsen, R-Minn.
Rep. Mike Quigley, D-Ill.
Gord Brown, member of Canadian Parliament
Pat Brown, member of Canadian Parliament
Rick Dykstra, member, Canadian Parliament
Brad Dayspring National Republican Senatorial Committee staffer
John Billings, from the office of Rep. Dan Benishek, R-Mich.
Tim Regan, from office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives
Gerrit Lansing, National Republican Congressional Committee staffer
Jeff McEvoy, from the office of the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms
Mark Little of USA Warriors
Steve Sandora, from the office of Rep. Michael G. Fitzpatrick, R-Pa.
Tim Sheehan of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
Jon Oehmen, from the office of Rep. Bill Flores, R-Texas
Michelle McGann, NRCC staffer
Joel Brubaker, from the office of Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va.
Bob Fischer, House Democratic Cloakroom staffer
Steve Hedger, from the office of Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo.
Garrett Donovan, from the office of Rep. William Keating, D-Mass.  

Team Lobbyists Lesley Elliott of District City Consulting
Brian Regan
Sean O’Neill of Associated General Contractors of America
Melissa Lavinson PG&E
Nick Lewis of UPS
Andrew Mills of Capital Management Initiatives
Jeff Burton of Burton Kamins Advocacy
John Cline of C2 GROUP
Nelson Litterst of C2 GROUP
Joe Bowser of USA Warriors
Ian Bennitt of Ball Janik
Kraig Siracuse of Park Strategies
Tory Mazzola
Chris Gullot of Bridgestone Americas, Inc.
Chris Coleman of America’s Natural Gas Alliance
Andy Emerson of Holland & Knight
Brian Cohen of Motion Picture Association of America
John Goodwin of The Herald Group
Rick Murphy of Richard Murphy & Associates
Bret Barker of New West Technologies
Mike Wertheimer
Seth Webb of Google
Kathleen Black of The Coca-Cola Company