Pickleball's crossover calendar made room for hockey in Cary. An August 24 PPA Tour announcement listed Andrei Svechnikov, Jalen Chatfield, Sebastian Aho and Justin Williams for the Canes and the Cup Pro-Am, scheduled for September 3 at Cary Tennis Park. See the original announcement.

The program paired Hurricanes players with PPA professionals, advertised Stanley Cup photo opportunities, and said a portion of proceeds would benefit the Carolina Hurricanes Foundation.

The crossover worth noticing

Our take: the appeal of a crossover pro-am is the change of roles. A name you know from one sport becomes the newcomer in another. You can follow the familiar face and start noticing the unfamiliar choices: who takes the middle, when a pair moves forward, and why a soft ball can be harder to handle than a fast one.

That is a better introduction to pickleball than another argument about whether it counts as a serious sport. A fan can enjoy the personalities without knowing the rankings. A regular player can enjoy watching someone else learn a game they already love. The charity component gives the afternoon a purpose beyond the score.

The event details

The announced program ran from 6 to 9 p.m. on September 3. Our source is the pre-event announcement, not a confirmed attendance list or a results report.

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