The QMJHL is moving to mandatory vaccinations for all of its “players and staff 
who are in contact with players,” according to Karissa Donkin of CBC News. . . . The policy also will include members of billet families who are eligible to be vaccinated. . . . Karl Jahnke, the QMJHL’s chief marketing officer, told Donkin that players had been notified of the policy a few weeks ago, adding that should a player choose not to be vaccinated “obviously, it’s a personal decision but they won’t be able to play.” . . . Trevor Georgie, the president and general manager of the Saint John Sea Dogs, said his organization has had “one player (who) won’t be able to meet those guidelines. We have one billet family that won’t be able to meet the guidelines, and we have one staff member (who) may not be able to meet those guidelines.” . . . Donkin’s story is right here.
The OHL also has moved to mandatory vaccinations and has posted its protocol on its website, something the QMJHL hasn’t yet done.
The WHL, which has teams in four provinces and two states, has yet to say anything, one way or the other, about mandatory vaccinations.
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The New York Times: “California and New York City both announced that they would require their workers to get a coronavirus vaccine or get tested weekly amid the spread of the more contagious Delta variant.”
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The New York Times: “President Biden is considering requiring all civilian federal employees to be vaccinated against the coronavirus or be forced to submit to regular testing, social distancing, mask requirements and restrictions on most travel, officials said on Tuesday.”
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The New York Times: “LL Cool J, Elvis Costello, Andrea Bocelli, Carlos Santana and the New York Philharmonic will join Bruce Springsteen and others at the Central Park concert New York City is planning, Mayor Bill de Blasio said Tuesday. Proof of vaccination will be required.”
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Might Swedish G Jesper Wallstedt play for the Portland Winterhawks in 2021-
22? Or will he go back home to play? Or does he end up in the AHL? . . . Jim Matheson, the veteran hockey writer with Postmedia in Edmonton, tweeted Monday afternoon that he is “hearing” that Wallstedt “might be playing for Portland . . . rather than back with Lulea.” . . . Wallstedt and Sebastian Cossa of the Edmonton Oil Kings were the two best goaltenders available in last weekend’s NHL draft. Cossa was taken by the Detroit Red Wings in the first round; the Minnesota Wild took Wallstedt five picks later. . . . Of course, because Wallstedt, who is to turn 19 on Nov. 14, was drafted from a European team, the Wild could sign him and place him with its AHL affiliate, the Iowa Wild. . . . The Winterhawks acquired Wallstedt’s WHL rights from the Moose Jaw Warriors on July 6 for a sixth-round pick in the WHL’s 2023 draft. The Warriors had selected him in the 2019 CHL import draft.
Rob Vanstone, in the Regina Leader-Post, looking forward to the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ home-opener on Aug. 6: “You can’t bring peanuts, blow horns, selfie sticks or sunflower seeds into Mosaic Stadium, but you can bring in COVID-19. Proof of vaccination is not required for entry.”
Meanwhile, you will have to be fully vaccinated if you hope to attend the Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ home-opener against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Aug. 5.
MLB’s trade deadline arrives on Friday afternoon, so when the Washington Nationals yanked SS Trea Turner in the first inning of a Tuesday night game with the Phillies in Philadelphia, well, a lot of people were wondering where he would be going. . . . It turns out that he had tested positive, so will be out at least 10 days, which will take him past the trade deadline. . . . It wasn’t immediately known if he is vaccinated, but OF Christian Yelich of the Milwaukee Brewers is fully vaccinated and he, too, has tested positive. He reportedly has mild symptoms.
The Regina Pats have acquired G Keegan Maddocks, 18, from the Victoria Royals for F Carter Massier, 20. . . . Maddocks, an eighth-round pick by the Royals in the WHL’s 2018 bantam draft, is from Langley, B.C. He was 0-1-0, 3.31, .900 in two games with the Royals in the 2021 development season. . . . When the 2021 season ended, the Pats also had G Matthew Kieper, 17, and G Spencer Welke, 19, on their roster. As for 2001-born players, the roster included F Carter Chorney, D Ryker Evans, F Logan Nijhoff and F Zack Smith. . . . Massier had five goals and seven assists in 24 games in the Regina hub in the 2021 development season. In 91 regular-season games with the Pats, he has 13 goals and 14 assists. He is from Peace River, Alta. . . . The Royals’ season-ending roster included three 2001-born players — D Graeme Bryks, F Tarun Fizer, F Brayden Tracey.
The Calgary Hitmen have signed four members of their hockey operations 
department to contract extensions — general manager Jeff Chynoweth, head coach Steve Hamilton and assistant coaches Trent Cassan and Joel Otto. The length of the extensions wasn’t revealed. Chynoweth is preparing for his fifth season with the Hitmen, while Hamilton has been head coach through three seasons. Otto is going into his 15th season, with Cassan entering his sixth.
The Swift Current Broncos have signed German D Rayan Bettahar to a WHL 
contract. He was the fifth overall selection in the CHL’s 2021 import draft. . . . Bettahar, 17, played just three games in 2020-21, putting up one assist for the Jungadler Mannheim U-20 side. In 2019-20, he had two goals and 25 assists in 35 games for the program’s U-17. . . . He is the first German player to have been selected by the Broncos in the import draft. . . . Swift Current also selected Russian F Alexei Shanaurin in the June 30 draft. He signed a WHL contract on July 21. . . . The Broncos didn’t have any imports on the roster with which they finished the 2021 development season.
The schedule has been released for the IIHF Women’s World Championship that is scheduled to open in Calgary Aug. 20. The opening day features a tripleheader — Czech Republic vs. Denmark, noon MST; Finland vs. Canada, 4 p.m.; and Switzerland vs. U.S., 7:30 p.m. . . . The complete schedule is right here. . . . Team Canada opened training camp in Calgary on Tuesday.
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If you are interested in being a living kidney donor, more information is available here:
Living Kidney Donor Program
St. Paul’s Hospital
6A Providence Building
1081 Burrard Street
Vancouver, BC V6Z 1Y6
Tel: 604-806-9027
Toll free: 1-877-922-9822
Fax: 604-806-9873
Email: donornurse@providencehealth.bc.ca
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Vancouver General Hospital Living Donor Program – Kidney
Gordon and Leslie Diamond Health Care Centre
Level 5, 2775 Laurel Street
Vancouver, BC V5Z 1M9
604-875-5182 or 1-855-875-5182
kidneydonornurse@vch.ca
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Or, for more information, visit right here.
JUST NOTES: Rob Mahon is the new radio voice of the WHL’s Prince Albert Raiders. Mahon spent the past four seasons doing play-by-play for the SJHL’s Estevan Bruins. In Prince Albert, he takes over from Trevor Redden, who left the position after four seasons. . . . Former NHLer Matt Smaby is the new head coach of the USHL’s Waterloo Black Hawks. He takes over from P.K. O’Handley, the head coach since 2002 who stepped aside and now serves as the organization’s president. Smaby has coaching experience as an assistant at the U of North Dakota and with Salzburg Red Bull in Austria. In the pandemic-riddled 2020-21 season, he ran the Grand Forks, N.D., Youth Hockey Program.
TAKING NOTE 