NHL Teams Able to Suspend Unvaccinated Players

According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, the NHL will be allowing teams to ban players who decline to get vaccinated, if they are unable to join team activities. This does include travel restrictions and a player will be docked one day's salary for each day he's unable to be with his team.

While this is certainly a touchy subject for some, there are some exceptions including medical reasons and 'sincerely held' religious beliefs are listed on the policy. If any NHL player is feeling unsafe about the upcoming season, they have until October 1st to withdraw from the 2021-22 season. If any player decides that to be the case, the team will have 30 days to determine whether to roll the player's contract over for the following season or strike 2021-22 from the pact. 

If you opt out of the NHL, don't expect to be playing anywhere else including the Olympics, as this is not allowed under the policy. There's also been a few changes for media members, as fully vaccinated media personnel will be able to interview players in the dressing rooms after games. 

As of right now, there's 95% of NHL players fully vaccinated and the number is expected to keep climbing as we approach puck drop on the 2021-22 season.

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