Boston Bruins legend Zdeno Chara was front and center at the grand opening of ELEVENO Pickleball at Patriot Place in Foxboro, MA on Friday.

The former NHL defenseman, who was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame last month, participated in the ceremonial first serve and hit around, too.

The 40,000-square-foot venue offers year-round play on nine professional courts, three outdoors and six indoors, and features a restaurant, bar, and beer garden for players to unwind as well.

“I think it’s an amazing sport, one of the fastest growing sports in the world,” said Chara, 48, a hockey operations advisor and mentor in the Bruins organization. “It provides a lot of opportunities for any age groups—from kids to elderly people—to be involved, to be active, to connect, to interact, and to be fit!”

At six-foot-nine, Chara is the tallest player to ever play in the NHL, and he would certainly be a force on the pickleball court because of his remarkable wingspan.

His stamina and endurance levels should also provide a serious edge.

"Three years removed from the game [hockey], Chara's pursuit of excellence hasn't stopped," wrote ESPN Senior NHL Insider Emily Kaplan in a story on Nov. 18. "He crushed his first Ironman triathlon in August in less than five hours -- upping the ante from his nine completed marathons in a 15-month span."

The 2011 Stanley Cup champion, who played 1,680 regular season NHL games over 24 seasons, should definitely consider registering for a pickleball tournament someday.

That would be a treat to watch.

New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels also participated in the ribbon cutting celebration on Friday.