COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Blue Jackets have sent Zac Rinaldo, a 31-year-old forward who has spent most of the last decade in the NHL, to Cleveland citing his refusal to take the COVID-19 vaccine.

What You Need To Know

  • New Blue Jackets signee Zac Rinaldo has not been invited to CBJ training camp

  • Rinaldo has been sent to the Jackets’ minor league camp in Cleveland

  • The Jackets cited Rinaldo’s refusal to get the COVID-19 vaccine for his demotion

  • The CBJ will also require masks to be worn during home games in Nationwide Arena

Rinaldo retweeted a post that said he would be a speaker at an anti-vaccination mandate rally in Hamilton, Ont. The rally was held with several candidates for Canadian Parliament. Canada held its federal elections on Monday. 

Rinaldo was signed during the offseason on a two-way contract, meaning he could be freely sent between the NHL and the CBJ's affiliate in Cleveland.

Blue Jackets President of Hockey Operations John Davidson told reporters on Tuesday that all 67 members of the Blue Jackets training camp roster are vaccinated. 

“I am proud of our group and I am proud they recognized how important it is to do everything we can to protect ourselves and others,” Davidson said. 

Davidson said his daughter is a doctor and that he is a proponent of vaccinations. 

“We have to, when we think about vaccinations and we think about our team, we think about our fans, we think about our players and their families,” Davidson said. “We have a responsibility as the leaders of the organization, we want our people vaccinated, we want to wear masks as much as possible. It is just the way it is.”

The NHL announced earlier this month that staff members who are regularly in close contact with players are required to be fully vaccinated. 

The NHL noted that because of the league’s footprint, there is frequent travel across the U.S. and Canada border. While the NHL’s protocols don’t specifically mandate players to become vaccinated, the league said it reserves the right to suspend players without pay who are barred from playing due to vaccination status. 

The Canadian government requires those crossing the border to quarantine for 14 days if they have not been fully vaccinated.

The Monsters, like the Blue Jackets, are slated to cross the border multiple times this season. After opening the season with two home games, Cleveland travels to Bellville, Ont. for two games followed by a game in Toronto. Given current protocols, it would seem unlikely that Rinaldo, and any player who is not vaccinated, would be permitted to play in those games.

The Blue Jackets’ announcement follows the dismissal of assistant coach Sylvain Lefebvre, who like Rinaldo, is not vaccinated. The Blue Jackets subsequently promoted coach Steve McCarty from Cleveland, the CBJ’s top minor league affiliate. 

The Blue Jackets also confirmed that fans will be required to wear masks during games this season. This is in compliance with Columbus’ indoor mask mandate that was implemented earlier this month. 

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