Philadelphia Flyers to be fully vaccinated for the start of the NHL season

The full roster of players, coaches, and hockey operations staff plan to be fully vaccinated by Oct. 12 season start.

Fans wearing masks walk through security at the Wells Fargo Center

Fans walk through security at the Wells Fargo Center before the Flyers-Capitals game on Sunday, March 7, 2021, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Gritty and co. are getting their vaccine shots in before the first puck drop of the fall.

On Tuesday, the Philadelphia Flyers announced that the full roster of players, coaches, and hockey operations staff plan to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in time for the start of the 2021-2022 National Hockey League season on Oct. 12.

“We’ll be fully vaccinated for the start of the season, for sure.” said General Manager and President of Hockey Operations Chuck Fletcher. “We’ve had a great response from staff and players and we look forward to having a much more normal season than last year.”

  • WHYY thanks our sponsors — become a WHYY sponsor

On Sept. 2, the league provided teams with its 2021-22 health and safety protocols, which feature significant restrictions and penalties for unvaccinated players.

When vaccines became more widely available in April, the Flyers launched the “Take Your Shot” campaign, becoming the first professional sports team in Pennsylvania and the first NHL franchise with a comprehensive vaccine awareness and support campaign. Working with Penn Medicine, the Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium, and public health leaders, the organization supported COVID-19 vaccination sites across the Philadelphia region and offered shots of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine at the final game of the season.

“Through our partnership with Penn Medicine, the Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium, local health officials, and others, we’ve had a strong voice in encouraging vaccination across the region. Setting a positive example is important to us and we are proud to have our entire team vaccinated before the start of the season.” said President of Business Operations Valerie Camillo.

  • WHYY thanks our sponsors — become a WHYY sponsor

The Flyers begin its preseason facing off against the New York Islanders on Tuesday, Sept. 28 at the Wells Fargo Center, and start the regular season by hosting the Vancouver Canucks on Oct. 15.

More information about the health and safety protocols at the Wells Fargo Center can be found at BacktoBroad.com.

Get daily updates from WHYY News!

WHYY is your source for fact-based, in-depth journalism and information. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on financial support from readers like you. Please give today.

Want a digest of WHYY’s programs, events & stories? Sign up for our weekly newsletter.

Together we can reach 100% of WHYY’s fiscal year goal