Blue Jackets Axe Coach Over Vaccine Refusal

Los Angeles, Sept 13 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 14th Sep, 2021 ) :Columbus Blue Jackets' assistant coach Sylvain Lefebvre has been fired after refusing to take the Covid-19 vaccine, the NHL club confirmed on Monday.

The Blue Jackets said in a statement the 53-year-old Canadian had been let go after declining to get vaccinated in accordance with NHL protocols.

"Lefebvre has decided not to receive a COVID-19 vaccine and thus will not be able to perform the duties required of him given current NHL protocols," the team statement said.

"While we are disappointed, we respect that this decision is a personal one for Sylvain and wish him well," club general manager Jarmo Kekalainen added.

Former NHL defenseman Lefebvre, who only joined the Blue Jackets in June, will be replaced by Steve McCarthy, a junior coach from Columbus's affiliated Cleveland Monsters team.

In a memo last month, the NHL said any club employees who come within 12 feet of hockey operations personnel, including players, are required to be fully vaccinated.

In comments to the Columbus Dispatch newspaper, Kekalainen said the club had been left with no choice but to replace Lefebvre.

"It's just impossible to do your job because of the NHL (vaccination) protocol, so we needed a new coach," Kekalainen said.

"You can't go anywhere near the players, 12 feet, if you're not vaccinated. You can't travel on the (team charter) plane, you can't be in the locker room, you can't be in the coaches' office."The decision comes with the 2021-2022 NHL regular season due to get underway on October 12.