Pittsburgh Penguins prospect Will Horcoff feels right at home on the pickleball court.

Literally.

The 18-year-old forward grew up in the Detroit suburbs just steps away from a court courtesy of his father, former NHL player, Shawn Horcoff, who suited up for over 1,000 games between Edmonton, Dallas, and Anaheim before hanging up his skates and joining the Red Wings' front office.

"We’ve kind of played our whole lives. Our old house in Birmingham had a court in the backyard and so does our new house in Bloomfield Hills, so it’s one thing that I’ve played since I was very young. It’s something that my family has always played," said Horcoff, a first-round NHL Draft selection (24th overall) this past June. "My friends would come over and play, too. We would just play all the time growing up."

Horcoff, a sophomore at the University of Michigan, also has fond memories of watching his father and his work colleagues go head-to-head on the 20x44 from time to time.

Guests included Stanley Cup champions, Kris Draper and Dan Cleary, whose genuine appreciation for America's fastest-growing sport is well documented.

Shawn currently works as assistant general manager of the Red Wings and general manager of the AHL's Grand Rapids Griffins as well.

"I just love how competitive it was. They’d be best friends, but screaming at each other and going at it," recalled Horcoff. "That’s what I loved about it, just guys getting super into it. Those were really fun games to watch. There were some pretty heated matches."

Father-son showdowns were commonplace, too.

And the Wolverines' No. 44 enjoyed every second of those battles, no matter the scoreline.

"We’d go at it a lot one-on-one against each other. Growing up, he would always beat me, but I think the case is different now. I think I’ve finally gotten to the point where I’m better than him. He probably wouldn’t admit it, but I think I am," mentioned Horcoff with a laugh. "I played him once in doubles this year and I won 11-4. I haven’t played him in singles in a while. That’s one thing I wish I did this summer, but I was really busy training."

The USA Hockey National Team Development Program (USNTDP) product should get his pickleball fix in Ann Arbor this year, though, when his hockey and academic schedules permit.

Horcoff says teammates Michael Hage, Nick Moldenhauer, T.J. Hughes, and Kienan Draper love hitting the court during their downtime.

"It’s just one of those activities where it could help you get closer with the boys. Any chance you get to get together and play a sport, it’s competitive and fun. Pickleball falls right into that category," noted Horcoff. "I think we'll add that to our team culture this year and do that more often to get the guys closer together. We were planning on getting out there in the next couple of weeks and playing against each other."

At 6-foot-5, Horcoff could be a formidable opponent with a paddle in hand.

He has a background in racquet sports, too, which definitely helps his cause in this department.

"I always played tennis my whole life and I really enjoyed it," shared Horcoff. "I like how pickleball takes more touch. You can’t really slam the ball. I like playing around the kitchen. Kitchen battles are fun. That’s what I like about the game. It takes really good hand-eye coordination and good touch. And one thing I have is reach. I’ve got really long arms, so I’m pretty good around the net."

At the end of the day, though, for Horcoff, pickleball will always be synonymous with family.

That's where his appreciation for the game began.

"Everyone plays. We have a very competitive family, so we clashed against each other on the court and played matches against each other all the time in the backyard," said Horcoff. "My mom plays. Sometimes her friends will come over and play. I have two sisters who are also really athletic and love sports. One’s 20. She’s in college. The other's 10, and she recently won her inter-club tennis championship at her club, so she likes racquet sports as well."

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