Columbus Blue Jackets forward Zac Rinaldo was placed on waivers on Thursday and as expected, was not claimed by any team. Instead of having him report to their AHL affiliate in Cleveland, the team will allow Rinaldo to seek other playing opportunities while still honouring his contract.
"Our position has been very clear that our organization is committed to doing everything we can to ensure the health and safety of our players, coaches, staff and fans," Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen said. "Given the impact COVID-19 continues to have in our communities, we believe the best course of action given Zac's vaccination status is to not have him report to Cleveland at this time. While we respect an individual's right to make a personal choice with regards to being vaccinated or not, we have a responsibility to do what we believe is best for our organization. We will honor Zac's contract, but if he wants to pursue any other opportunities to play this season we will allow him to do so."
Rinaldo, 31, signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Blue Jackets in the off-season and was told not to come to training camp last week because he was unvaccinated. Rinaldo also attended and spoke at a People's Party of Canada rally on September 16th.
The Mississauga, Ontario native played four games for Calgary last season, recording no points, five penalty minutes, and was a -1.
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