Lobbyists edge out lawmakers in charity hockey showdown

A group of lawmakers on Thursday evening traded their suits for skates at the 16th annual Congressional Hockey Challenge but returned to the Capitol without a trophy after losing in the first-ever overtime game.

Team Lobbyists, who took the win last year, beat Team Lawmakers 4-3 in a historic shootout, breaking the ice after a 3-3 tie.

“Nobody remembers the loser,” House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), who was on Team Lawmakers and has played hockey since he was 3, told The Hill following the game.

“Yeah, I could have scored a goal,” he added, while chuckling. “My goodness, I came close but they didn’t utilize me the way they should have. Part of the problem is our coaching is pretty weak.”

The players skated into the rink at MedStar Capitals Iceplex with a shared goal: to raise money for charity and grow the sport of hockey in underserved communities. 

Team Lobbyists wore dark blue jerseys, while Team Lawmakers, clothed in white jerseys, featured congressional members and prominent faces such as FBI Director Kash Patel and Deputy Secretary of the Interior Kate MacGregor. The team also received help from 2018 Olympic gold medalist Haley Skarupa. 

Patel, who grew up playing hockey in Garden City, N.Y., made his debut as a player for Team........

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