What Happened to John Kerry's Face? The Story Behind his Black Eyes [PHOTOS]

Onlookers and curious spectators wondered if Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass) got into a barroom brawl. He appeared on Monday at the White House and the State of the Union Address with two black eyes and a broken nose.

Rumors quickly began circulating around Washington, D.C., and on the Internet about the former presidential candidate. Now the details have emerged. The Massachusetts Democrat, 68, was reportedly playing a friendly game of ice hockey with friends and family over the New Year's Eve weekend.

On Monday, Kerry attended a White House event honoring the Stanley Cup champions, the Boston Bruins.

He busted his nose during a friends and family game over the holidays, said press secretary Whitney Smith. When asked what the other guy looked like, she laughed and responded just what you saw. Smith said that Kerry sustained no other injuries and will be just fine.

In an interview with the Long Island Press, Smith took a few jabs at presidential candidate Mitt Romney.

He must feel like Mitt Romney after South Carolina, she said.

Kerry is known to be a big hockey fan. In fact, he is a member of the Congressional Hockey Challenge, a charity event founded in 1978 that raises money for the Fort Dupont Hockey Club. The annual game pits lawmakers and their staff against lobbyists. It has included some other notable congressional leaders such as disgraced Congressman Anthony Weiner and Congressman Pat Meehan. According to the website, Sen. Kerry's number is 1 and he plays forward/right wing.

So the story isn't scandalous. But it is good to know that even past retirement age, Sen. Kerry knows how to take a shot.