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Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League ponders vaccine mandate

VIJHL governors will discuss the issue at an upcoming meeting
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The Lake Cowichan Kraken and Kerry Park Islanders line up for a faceoff during an exhibition tournament at Lake Cowichan in August 2021. (Kevin Rothbauer/Citizen)

Like other junior hockey leagues in B.C., the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League is considering whether or not to require players, staff and officials to be vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to participate this coming season.

“That would be a decision of the bovernors as a whole which will be discussed at an upcoming meeting,” VIJHL president Simon Morgan said in an email to Black Press.

Simon noted that neither Hockey Canada nor BC Hockey have mandated vaccines for players.

One of B.C.’s three junior B leagues, the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League, announced on Monday, Aug. 16 that it would require all players, bench staff and on-ice officials to receive their first dose of the vaccine before participating in training camps.

READ MORE: KIJHL will require all players, bench staff, officials to be fully vaccinated

The province’s other junior B league, the Pacific Junior Hockey League, and the junior A B.C. Hockey League, are also weighing their options about requiring players, staff and fans to be vaccinated.

READ MORE: B.C. junior hockey leagues ‘weighing options’ about mandatory vaccinations for fans



Kevin Rothbauer

About the Author: Kevin Rothbauer

Kevin Rothbauer is the sports reporter for the Cowichan Valley Citizen
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