Blue Jackets Send Zac Rinaldo To AHL For Not Getting COVID-19 Vaccine

The Columbus Blue Jackets aren’t leaving any room for interpretation: If you do not get the COVID-19 vaccine, you will get cut.

The Blue Jackets canned Sylvain Lefebvre, an assistant coach, earlier in the month for not getting vaccinated. So, unsurprisingly, it raised antennas when Zac Rinaldo, who got invited to Columbus training camp on a PTO, suddenly was not listed on the camp roster Tuesday.

Reason being, he is unvaccinated, even speaking out against the vaccine over the weekend, going so far as to dropping the “I’m pro-choice” argument.

Well, the Blue Jackets exercised their choice and elected not to bring him into camp.

Ultimately, it is Rinaldo’s choice whether or not to get vaccinated. Just as equally, it is CBJ’s prerogative to tell him to pound sand if he’s adamant about not getting it. It’s also worth mentioning that Rinaldo is a fringe NHL player, so there always was a chance he’d end up in the AHL anyways. His stance on vaccination just seemed to make the decision easier for the Blue Jackets.

This likely will be something of an isolated incident in the NHL this season though, as deputy commissioner Bill Daly has indicated that the league has an exceptionally high vaccination rate.