Broad Street Buzz
Fansided

Philadelphia Flyers To Be Fully Vaccinated Against COVID-19 By Opening Night

By Jacob Modugno

Feb 7, 2021; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Philadelphia Flyers head coach Alain Vigneault (M) looks on from behind the bench against the Washington Capitals in the third period at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 7, 2021; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Philadelphia Flyers head coach Alain Vigneault (M) looks on from behind the bench against the Washington Capitals in the third period at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

The Philadelphia Flyers announced on Tuesday afternoon that every player, coach, and member of the hockey operations staff will be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by the drop of the puck on Opening Night against the Vancouver Canucks on October 15th.

The announcement comes as good news for a number of reasons. First off, the Flyers organization is taking the NHL’s updated COVID-19 protocols to heart. They are not only protecting themselves as people, but also their teammates, co-workers, families, friends, and community to try and contain and limit the spread and effects of the coronavirus.

It also shows that the team is taking the initiative to help each other out and stay protected in this fight against the virus, and they hope that fans will see that and also get vaccinated.

Flyers general manager and president of hockey operations Chuck Fletcher has expressed his excitement to return to as normal of a season as possible.

"“We’ll be fully vaccinated for the start of the season, for sure. We’ve had a great response from all staff and players. We look forward to having a much more normal season than last year.”"

For those that don’t remember, the Flyers had their very own nasty bout with COVID-19 during the middle of their miserable season. And it kept plenty of key players out of the lineup for extended time as they either contracted the illness or were deemed close contacts. Key players that missed time because of it were captain Claude Giroux, Jake Voracek, Justin Braun, Oskar Lindblom, Travis Konecny, and Scott Laughton.

After what they went through last season, the organization knows firsthand how the virus can effect them, and they’re taking the correct precautions to make sure they’re safe.

It’s also especially refreshing that they’re getting vaccinated considering that Lindblom, who courageously battled Ewing’s Sarcoma, had already been exposed to the virus. This initiative will help protect an immunocompromised teammate.

Valerie Camillo, the Flyers’ President of Business Operations, also spoke about their previous partnerships and the initiative the team has taken.

"“We know that the Flyers are more than a hockey team, we’re a pillar of this community, and that’s why we’ve taken a leading role in encouraging everyone to protect themselves and others by getting vaccinated. Through our partnership with Penn Medicine, the Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium, local health officials, and others, we’ve been able to make a real difference in the Philadelphia region, and we’re very proud to have our full team and hockey operations staff vaccinated before the start of the season.”"

The Flyers were also the first NHL organization and first professional sports franchise in Pennsylvania altogether to launch an awareness campaign for the COVID-19 vaccine back in April.

The “Take Your Shot” initiative, in partnership with the Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium, Penn Medicine, and public health leaders, was launched by the Flyers to help bring awareness to the COVID-19 vaccine and to support COVID-19 vaccination sites throughout the region. The team also provided free vaccinations at their final home game of the 2020-21 season in partnership with Penn Medicine.

The Flyers have been a community staple in Philadelphia and the rest of the Delaware Valley for over 50 years now, and have given back to their fans plenty over their history. This is just another shining example of the team coming together and giving back as they look to help fight COVID-19 and protect not only the organization, but to help protect our city and home as well.

Home/Flyers News