"This COVID virus just did so much damage into his lungs, he just couldn't keep responding, his body just couldn't keep up,'' Neil Sasakamoose said in the video. "When I talked to him, I asked him how he was feeling, if he was scared. He said, `I'm not scared, I'm ready to go, if I got to go, I'm going to go.'"

"There were good days and then hard days where you say, 'Is this really worth it? Maybe it's time to let go,'" Gasol said.Florida Panthers Team NHL Face Coverings

The NHL salary cap is tied to hockey-related revenue under the teams of the collective bargaining agreement as well. It will remain at $81.5 million until hockey-related revenue surpasses $3.3 billion, according to the extension.Nashville Predators Team NHL Face Coverings

"It's been nice to see that united front," the player said.Carolina Hurricanes Team NHL Face Coverings

Forward prospect Janne Kuokkanen, acquired in a trade with the Carolina Hurricanes on Feb. 24, and defenseman prospect Ty Smith, the No. 18 pick in the 2018 NHL Draft, should challenge for key roles.

Gasol has arranged for workout partners to receive weekly coronavirus testing and has them wear masks during contact drills, he said. Between sessions, he requests his workout partners remain vigilant about social distancing, wearing masks and other protective measures. Expanding beyond a few workout partners has been difficult during the pandemic.

Still, full-contact drills are a long way from where Gasol's rehab began after the two procedures in 2019. At first, he could put almost no weight on his foot. He had to strengthen it with basic exercises: curling his toes around a towel placed on the floor and then using his toes to pick up a pen and put it back down several times in a row, he said.Seattle Kraken Team NHL Face Coverings