Shot in the arm before shot on the ice

▪MJHL players and staff requited to have COVID-19 vaccine

SYDNEY, N.S. — With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League will require all its players and staff to have the COVID-19 vaccine this year.

In an email to SaltWire network, QMJHL spokesperson Maxime Blouin confirmed last week the league’s mandatory vaccine protocol.

“The most important aspect of mandatory vaccination is to offer our players, staff and officials the safest environment possible. For us, vaccination was the key element,” said Blouin. “We want our players to continue their development in the most normal season as possible. As an organization, we also want to participate in this collective effort to kill this virus and get our lives back.”

Major junior training camps began last week across the league, including in Cape Breton where the Eagles kicked off preparations for the 2021-22 season with rookie camp at Miners Forum in Glace Bay.

STAFF AND BILLETS

Eagles general manager

Jacques Carrière confirmed all the team’s players, staff and billet families are vaccinated.

“Players who have two vaccines don’t have to selfisolate and the league is mandating two vaccines for every player to get on the ice,” said Carrière. “We’re seeing some kind of normalcy back. It’s the light at the end of the tunnel.”

Along with the vaccine mandate, players, staff and billets still need to complete a COVID-19 form via phone app each day, like they did last season, to ensure the safety of all involved with the team and the game.

“The sanitary protocol with regards to return-to-play was 76 pages last year and it’s down to 59 pages this year, so there’s some stuff that isn’t required anymore,” said Carrière.