A new ball game: Avs players turn to tennis in offseason, 'hot topic' rages over who rules on court

DENVER (AP) — Martin Necas has proven highly efficient at lining shots into the net on the ice. Turns out, he's pretty proficient at sending them over a net, too, on the court.

The forward is one of several Colorado Avalanche players who've turned to tennis in the offseason to keep that competitive edge flowing. It's a way to get in some cardio work and sharpen the eye-hand coordination. Maybe even earn bragging rights.

Just don't ask about an official Avalanche ranking of players because, “it's a bit of a hot topic right now,” center Brock Nelson said.

The consensus around the locker room seems to be that Necas, Nelson, Nicolas Roy, Artturi Lehkonen, Nazem Kadri, Devon Toews and Cale Makar are among those with a strong tennis game. But there are others who'd like to throw their name into the conversation as well.

“I'm sure they're world-class players for our team,” forward Parker Kelly said. “But I'd like to say with my grit — I wouldn't give up on a ball easy, so I feel like I'd be able to hold my own.

"I guess I can say that until I get into an actual match with these guys. I mean, if they swept me 6-0 in a set I’d be like, ‘Hey, these guys are elite.’ But that hasn’t happened yet.”

They play as often as they can in the offseason. Sometimes at a tennis club. Sometimes at a local high school or nearby park. Sometimes even on a court at the home of defenseman Brent Burns.

The 41-year-old Burns doesn't play — he uses the court to practice his shot — but his place is favored because “they say it's a nice court, easier on the body,” Burns explained.

“It’s such a fun sport,” said Makar, who spent this summer rehabbing from an injury but the offseason before played tennis two or three times a week. “I like to think I’m a compete kind of guy. It’ll be a hard point.”

Growing up, Necas had two idols — Washington Capitals standout Alex Ovechkin and Rafael Nadal, the winner of 22 Grand Slam men’s singles titles.

“And they were on the same level," Necas said, “even though I was a hockey player.”

Necas not only spent time on the court this summer, but attended Wimbledon. He got the chance to play on a grass training court, thanks to longtime NHL forward Tomas Plekanec.

“It was great,” Necas said of the Wimbledon experience. "I love watching (tennis players) on TV. So it was cool to see it firsthand, be there with them."

Competition spills from the ice to the court

Lehkonen and Necas have spirited tennis matches — and banter about them.

“He hasn’t won,” Necas proudly announced.

“Actually, the last time I did beat you,” said Lehkonen, who's been playing the sport since he was a kid and counts Nadal as his favorite player.

“That was a tiebreaker. It wasn't a match,” Necas quickly volleyed before relenting a bit. “Yeah, he won the super-tiebreaker.”

Roy picked up tennis as a kid

Roy picked up a tennis racket and started playing when he was around 5 years old. He did the tournament scene until hockey became his focal point.

“Nowadays, the kids are only doing hockey in the summer, and I think every kid should at least do a different sport than other than hockey in the summer,” Roy explained. “Kids are focused too early on just playing hockey.”

So far, he's taken on only Lehkonen and Necas.

“They’re both really good,” Roy said.

So, who won?

“We were playing a tiebreaker, I guess, and it was pretty even,” Roy diplomatically said. “One guy was winning one, the other guy was winning one, so it was two really good players. It’s fun, obviously, having good players on the team, so we can play.”

While playing for the New York Islanders, Nelson attended several U.S. Open matches. In 2017, he and his wife purchased last-minute tickets to be on hand at Flushing Meadows when his favorite player, Nadal, beat Kevin Anderson.

“A once-in-a-lifetime chance to see my guy play in the final,” Nelson explained. “That was awesome.”

These days, Kadri has been picking up a racket more and more with his daughter getting into tennis.

“I've been working on my game,” said Kadri, whose favorite player is 24-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic. “There's always room for improvement. I've got to work on my serve but other than that, it looks pretty good.”

Almost to the point, Kadri said, where he's ready to take on Necas & Co.

Almost.

“Before I slide out there with (Necas), I have to work on it a little," Kadri said. “But I think I could give him a run.”

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