It’s starting to get warmer, but at the Verizon Center this weekend, it’s still very, very frozen.

For the first time, Washington, D.C., will host an NCAA Division I Championship event. The 2009 Frozen Four gets under way tonight.

Tickets for this event are sold out (you may luck out at stubhub.com or other ticket reseller outlets), but there are still plenty of chances to mingle with rabid college hockey fans in Chinatown. Want to scout some talent? On Friday, team practices start at 11:15 a.m., and those are free and open to the public. If you have tickets, make sure you’re one of the first 1,400 fans through the door for your free NCAA Men’s Frozen Four headband.