Ex-NHLer Cody Hodgson takes ownership stake in pro pickleball team

Author of the article:

Postmedia News

Ryan Pyette

Published Aug 07, 2026  •  Last updated 3 hours ago  •  3 minute read

Cody Hodgson, a former first-round NHL pick, is now a co-owner of the York Yeti professional pickleball team. (Dave Stewart/The Guardian/Postmedia) PNimg

Cody Hodgson was the 10th overall pick in the 2008 National Hockey League draft and led the world junior tournament in scoring the following season.

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Now, he’s a co-owner of the Canadian National Pickleball League’s York Yeti, which is competing in the Central Split tournament at Smash Pickleball London (1040 Wharncliffe Rd. S.) this weekend.

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“I got into it when I was living in Nashville (after playing with the Predators in 2015-16),” the 36-year-old said. “It’s a really popular sport there. It’s not just for retirees. It’s a young person sport, too, and I thought it was great and really social.”

Late last year, he was playing a friendly match with Andrew Liorti when the Toronto United co-owner received a phone call. The CNPL’s Southwest Ontario Brewers were on the block.

“He asked if I knew anybody who wanted to buy a pickleball team,” Hodgson recalled, “and I said, ‘yeah, I would.’ It just landed in my lap. I had seen all these people at the courts and figured there could be an opportunity there. With London Smash, it didn’t make a lot of sense to have two teams beside each other, so bringing it to my hometown of York Region made sense.”

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Hodgson’s co-owners include fellow former NHLer and Maple Leafs defenceman T.J. Brodie, a Chatham native, and Bret Shepley. He had hockey connections to both.

“I knew T.J. and grew up training with him from the time I was 18,” he said, “and Bret’s son Zack played with me in the OHL with Brampton (then the Battalion). It’s a pretty small world that way.”

The popularity of pickleball has skyrocketed in recent years. The business and development side of the sport has grown rapidly, too.

U.S. colleges are now handing out scholarships to elite players. Ahead of the Major League Pickleball draft in the United States, the St. Louis Shock made waves by paying $1.23 million to acquire the right to pick star player Anna Bright.

“There’s getting to be some serious money,” Hodgson said, “but what really drives the game is the amateur side. In every park and community centre, when I bring up pickleball, people are hooked and want to find more courts to play. Toronto just built a 21-court facility, so the infrastructure is growing. They’re popping up and you’re getting people out to socialize and be active in a healthy way.”

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Most sports rely on speed, power or imposing physical stature. Hodgson believes pickleball takes away many of those advantages and has an added benefit over other racquet sports.

“Everyone can have a rally and feel like they’re in the game,” he said. “You might not win, but you will be in it. Other sports, if the games aren’t matched up accordingly, then they’re over pretty quick.”

Hodgson played in 328 NHL games for Vancouver, Buffalo and Nashville, but was hindered by a major back tear in his final junior season and a rare genetic muscle disorder called malignant hyperthermia.

He ended a nearly eight-year pro hockey hiatus in 2023-24 and scored six goals in 13 games with the American league’s Milwaukee Admirals before hanging up his blades. In short order, he became an adviser to the GM and head ambassador for Team Canada ahead of this year’s World Cup in Da Nang, Vietnam.

“The nice part of pickleball is it doesn’t bring up all those (health issues),” he said. “I feel great. I made (the hockey) comeback and I’m glad I did. I had to shut it down and now can live a normal life. Lots of guys have to retire. It’s part of life and I’m excited about this new venture.”

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He wants the Yeti, who open Saturday against the host London Smash at 10 a.m., to become a CNPL powerhouse. Each roster is made up of three women and three men of various ages, and the 10-team league features clubs from Vancouver, Montreal, Detroit and several in Ontario.

“I can’t go on the court and compete (at that level),” he said, “but you give them the same tools I had access to in hockey. We just hired a sports performance coach. You see how hard these athletes work and you want to grow out the other aspects of the game – from how they deal with fans to charities and the community.

“It’s impressive to watch what they do and appreciate it.”

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