ASPEN, CO - If you’re a fan of pickleball and hockey, the inaugural Pickle ‘N Pucks Pro-Am presented by Verizon brought the best of both worlds together for must-see TV on ESPN2 on Thursday.

Pickleball’s brightest stars and some notable names from the NHL world joined forces and went head-to-head in six exhibition matches at the picturesque Aspen Meadows Resort in Colorado.

America’s fastest-growing sport was represented by Ben Johns, Anna Leigh Waters, Collin Johns, Genie Bouchard, Meghan Dizon, AJ Koller and John Isner, while Justin Williams, Kris Draper, Troy Terry and Jarmo Kekalainen traded their sticks and skates for paddles to join the fun.

Williams enjoyed a successful event with mixed doubles and gender doubles victories alongside Waters and Draper, respectively, so he was all smiles when all was said and done.

"I’ve been retired for a few years now, so you have to get your competitive juices somewhere, and pickleball is one of the sports that I enjoy. What I guess is similar about hockey and pickleball is that it’s really instinctual. In hockey, you’re always moving, and in pickleball, after the serve, anything can happen out there. You’ve got to be ready for anything, especially when you’re playing against the calibre of players that were here," shared Williams, a three-time Stanley Cup Champion. "If you really love pickle and you want to learn about it, who better than these players?"

Waters, meanwhile, was thrilled to participate in the festivities to continue to spread the word about pickleball nationwide, especially on National Pickleball Day.

It wasn't lost on her that ESPN2 provided coverage with the help of PickleballTV.

"When I first started playing, it wasn’t on any networks whatsoever. This is great for the growth of the sport and great for the growth of the pickleball pros who played in the event," praised Waters. "Overall, just getting it on networks is a big thing, and recently it’s been on a lot of networks. I feel like every week you can find pickleball somewhere. It’s been awesome to see the sport go from no networks to a ton."

The Pro-Am was the culmination of a three-day experience in the Rocky Mountain State that also included pickleball clinics, pickleball strategy classes, and a bike ride on one of the most spectacular trails in the world, the Maroon Bells, with cycling legend Lance Armstrong.

Here are the scores from Thursday's matches:

Waters/Williams def. Bouchard/Draper 11-4
C. Johns/Dizon def. B. Johns/Isner 11-8
Koller/Kekalainen def. C. Johns/Terry 7-2
B. Johns def. Isner 7-5
Draper/Williams def. Dizon/Bouchard 7-6
Bouchard/B. Johns def. Waters/Isner 15-9