Marian Gaborik had already put his body through 989 NHL games over 16 seasons, and new LA Kings coach John Stevens needed to know if the 35-year-old forward recovering from knee surgery in April wanted to add any more.
"I remember one of the first guys I met with was [Gaborik] when I got hired, and we were in Manhattan Beach and he was on crutches," Stevens said of their meeting at a restaurant a few blocks from the Pacific Ocean.
"I said, 'I need to know: Do you still want to play?
"'Are you willing to put the work in to be healthy, and do you have the passion to pay a price to be a good player?'"
Gaborik answered yes to each question.
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LA Kings forward has been model of perseverance through 17 seasons in the league