Former NHL players Dave Bolland, Patrick Sharp, Kris Draper and Freddy Modin are just some pro athletes getting into the USA's fastest-growing sport with PBX Pickleball.
The fastest-growing sport in the United States isn’t hockey, or baseball, or basketball, or football. It’s pickleball.
In fact, the sport has seen more than 150-percent growth in the past three years, with roughly 36.5 million Americans picking up a paddle in the last year, according to a report by the Association of Pickleball Professionals.
Four of those new pickleball players include Stanley Cup Champions Kris Draper, Patrick Sharp, Fredrik Modin, and Dave Bolland. The four have signed with PBX Pickleball, as has Columbus Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen, to participate in the PBX Tour, PBX Pro-Ams, PBX Dream Weekends, and PBX Corporate Events beginning this year.
PBX Pickleball was co-founded by another former NHL player, Paul Holmgren. Through the NHL Alumni Association, he's bringing NHL players out of retirement and asking them to trade their sticks for paddles.
“PBX Pickleball offers an opportunity for amateur pickleball players of all levels to compete right alongside some of the best players and personalities from hockey, baseball, football, basketball, and more,” said Holmgren. “Pickleball is a fantastic game, and we’ll have the opportunity to reignite that locker room comradery we all loved in hockey or the other sports and bring it to the pickleball court. I know Bolland, Draper, and Sharp also love the sport and will go out there to win and have fun.”
Dave Bolland, who spent a decade in the NHL with the Chicago Blackhawks, Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers, said he’s just gotten into the sport.
“I’m a golfer, but at all of our golf courses, we have pickleball courts now – they’re putting them in everywhere,” Bolland told The Hockey News. “Pickleball is a fun game, and a game you can stay active with and busy as you get old. I’ve played golf, but pickleball is a great rising game that keeps getting bigger.”
The PBX Tour will not only feature former NHL players but retired professional athletes from across a variety of sports, including three-time MLB all-star Kevin Youkilis, four-time World Series champion Tino Martinez, two-time MLB all-star Brad Penny, 18-year MLB veteran Kent Mercker, and NFL Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion Golden Tate.
Combined with the veteran pickleball players who will attend the events, Bolland suggested the contests will be much more than any casual match.
“Once we get going, given our pedigrees, I think it will get competitive,” Bolland said. “I don’t think anyone will take it lightly. I’m sure I’ll get beat, that will happen, but it happens with every sport. The competitive side will come out though, and I’ll just keep playing until I can beat them.”
When it comes to winning, Bolland has plenty of experience, winning two Stanley Cups with the Chicago Blackhawks, a Memorial Cup as a member of the OHL’s London Knights, and a World Junior Championship gold with Team Canada.
Bolland played his last NHL games in the 2015-16 season before retiring. After being out of competitive sport for several seasons, he said he’s excited for the opportunity to get back into the sporting world and interact with fans.
“You kind of miss that interaction with fans in retirement,” Bolland said. “Being in Chicago, the fans were awesome, going out doing autograph signings and appearances, I used to have a blast doing them, and getting back to it will be fun.”
PBX Pickleball was founded in 2023 to bring together retired professional athletes alongside amateur pickleball players and fans. For more information on the league, visit pbxpickleball.com.