The former NBA star, along with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, were among nine people killed in a helicopter crash outside Los Angeles.
Bryant, who won five NBA championships with the Los Angeles Lakers and is the league's fourth all-time leading scorer with 33,643 points, was 41 years old.
"I was hoping it was not true," forward Alex Ovechkin said after the Washington Capitals practiced in Montreal. "You don't want to hear somebody (is in a) crash in a helicopter and passes away. It's tough. I know him, he always treated me well when he saw me. It's hard. He was a legend in the basketball world, in the whole world. I still can't believe it.
"I met him three or four times after games. He always shook my hand, he knows who I am. I remember when I was in the stands and he'd point to me. It's hard, it's hard."
