Short-term issues include what the season will look like; whether teams will play in home arenas, hubs or a hybrid; and potential for temporary divisional realignment.

"The fact is, if I'm a player and I'm looking at a [salary] cap that's going to be basically flat for the term of what is now a six-year collective bargaining agreement and players for the next five or six years are going to be repaying what was overpaid, they have to ask themselves: Does this make sense?" Bettman said. "Just like there's a lot of issues we have to deal with where we say, does this make sense? Having said that ... what we're focused on is trying to get through the 2020-21 season so we can be back in position for 2021-22 for normalcy. Based off everything we're hearing from the medical experts ... we're hopeful and optimistic that we can return to normalcy by the time we get to '21-22."

Sasakamoose was named to the Order of Canada in 2017, and given an honorary doctorate of law by the University of Saskatchewan this year.

Ruff, who was hired July 9, has coached 19 seasons in the NHL. He is sixth all-time in wins (736) and seventh in games coached (1,493). He'll try to turn around a team that has made the Stanley Cup Playoffs once in the past eight seasons.Miami Dolphins for NHL Face Masks

"We lost a luminary in the hockey world with the passing of Fred Sasakamoose,'' the Blackhawks said in a statement. "Fred inspired many across the sport and throughout North America after becoming one of the first Indigenous-born athletes to play in the National Hockey League.''Tennessee Titans for NHL Face Masks

The 35-year-old was 16-20-3 with a 2.77 goals-against average, a .917 save percentage and one shutout in 40 games (39 starts) with the Chicago Blackhawks last season. He has won at least 30 games six times in his past 10 seasons and won the Cup with Chicago in 2013 and 2015.

The NHL’s oldest head coach still worries about COVID-19 but not enough to stop doing his job. It’s a risk-reward proposition coaches and executives around sports are weighing, and while Florida assistant Mike Kitchen is the only one to so far opt out of hockey’s return, plenty of others are considering masking up behind the bench and taking other precautions in the middle of a pandemic.