The WHL — including the Moose Jaw Warriors — announced Monday that effective immediately all roster players, hockey operations staff and other team and WHL office personnel along with officials must be fully vaccinated with a Health Canada approved COVID-19 vaccine at least 14 days prior to the start of the regular season.
The 2021-22 campaign opens on Friday, October 1, with the Warriors hosting the Saskatoon Blades at Mosaic Place.
The vaccine mandate extends throughout the hockey organization to those involved in game-day operations: general managers, coaches, head scouts or director of player personnel, trainers, equipment managers, on-ice and off-ice consultants, on-ice officials and ice-level off-ice officials (penalty box attendants; timekeepers and scorekeepers) and any other individuals who interact directly and on a regular basis with players.
“The health and safety of our players and staff continues to be the number one priority for the WHL,” said WHL commissioner Ron Robison when announcing the decision. “The policy is designed to further protect our players and staff in the WHL from the potential risk of exposure to COVID-19.
“With travel restrictions currently in place with the Canada / U.S. border as well as the province of Manitoba, it is important all players and staff are fully vaccinated in order to be eligible to play a full season in the WHL,” Robison added.
The WHL has also strongly recommended that players reside in billet households where all eligible individuals are vaccinated.
