Are you ready for some football? . . . The CFL season opens on Thursday night 
when the Hamilton Tiger-Cats visit the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in a rematch of the 2019 Grey Cup game. That just happens to have been the last CFL game played because of the pandemic. . . . Winnipeg won that game, 33-12, in Calgary, taking possession of the Grey Cup for the first time since 1990. . . . On Tuesday, the CFL announced a cancellation program that could result in teams forfeiting a game and players not being paid. . . . “Our goal is to ensure we have zero game cancellations due to issues caused by an outbreak of COVID-19 within our football operations,” CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie said in a statement. “While this policy spells out what will happen if cancellations do occur, its main purpose is to encourage all of our players to get fully vaccinated in order to minimize the risk to our season and, most importantly, their health and safety.” . . . There is more on this story right here.
The WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors have signed Slovakian F Robert Baco and Czech F Martin Rysavy, both of whom were selected in the CHL import drafts. . . . Baco, 18, was selected in the 2021 draft on June 30. He played last season with Karlovy Vary’s U-20 side, scoring two goals and adding four assists in nine games. He also had one goal and an assist in nine games while on loan to SK Kadan in the Czech2 league. He added two goals and two assists in six international games for Slovakia. . . . Rysavy, also 18, was the sixth overall selection in the 2020 import draft. He played last season at home with HC Prerov in Czech2, putting up three goals and six assists in 19 games. He was pointless in six games with HC Vitkovice in the Czech Republic’s top league. He also played in the IIHF U-18 Worlds in Texas, finishing with two goals and an assist in five games. The Columbus Blue Jackets selected him in the seventh round of the NHL’s 2021 draft.
The SJHL’s Weyburn Red Wings are expected to name a new general manager/head coach on Thursday. The club revealed Tuesday that Rich Pilon, its general manager and head coach, no longer is part of the organization. . . . Greg Nikkel of sasktoday.ca wrote a brief story that quoted team president Brent Stephenson as saying: “There will be no further details at this time due to legal reasons.” . . . According to Nikkel, Stephenson added that the matter may end up in court, so no additional comment can be made.” . . . Pilon, 53, is a former WHL and NHL defenceman. He joined the Red Wings as general manager and head coach on April 29, 2019. . . . On Tuesday afternoon, the team’s website didn’t list a general manager/head coach or an assistant coach.
CNN — New York City will require proof of vaccination to enter all restaurants, fitness centers and indoor entertainment venues, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Tuesday. “If you’re unvaccinated, unfortunately, you will not be able to participate in many things,” de Blasio said. “If you want to participate in our society fully, you’ve got to get vaccinated.”
RHP Luis Gil made his MLB debut with the New York Yankees on Tuesday night, taking the spot in the starting rotation that usually belongs to Gerrit Cole. . . . Cole tested positive on Monday, so is likely to be out until at least sometime next week. . . . On Tuesday, the Yankees revealed that LHP Jordan Montgomery also has tested positive so he, too, is likely to be out at least 10 days. . . . Last month, the Yankees, who have more than 85 per cent of their people fully vaccinated, had six players test positive, including OF Aaron Judge. . . . BTW, Gil pitched six scoreless innings, giving up just four singles and one walk, as the Yankees beat the visiting Baltimore Orioles, 13-1, on Tuesday night.
Western Michigan U announced on Tuesday that Andy Murray has resigned after 10 seasons as head coach of the men’s hockey team, with Pat Ferschweiler promoted to replace him. . . . “The last 10 years at WMU have been as rewarding as anything I have done in my life,” Murray said in a news release. “I am in great health and full of energy, so this is not a retirement. I still have a number of things on my bucket list and now is the time to pursue those.” . . . Murray, 70, has coached since 1976 when he was the head coach of the MJHL’s Brandon Travellers. His past includes stints as an assistant coach in the NHL with the Philadelphia Flyers, Minnesota North Stars and Winnipeg Jets. He also worked as the head coach of the Los Angeles Kings for six seasons and the St. Louis Blues for two seasons and parts of two others. . . . He also owned the BCHL’s Salmon Arm Silverbacks for six seasons with childhood friend Garry Davidson. . . . Ferschweiler has been the program’s associate coach since 2019. He joined the program as an assistant coach in 2010 under head coach Jeff Blashill. Ferschweiler left the Broncos to work under Blashill with the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins and then the NHL’s Detroit Red Wings, before returning in 2019.
The host Winnipeg Goldeyes dumped the Sioux City Explorers, 14-6, on 
Tuesday night in the first American Association baseball game in the Manitoba capital since Sept. 2, 2019. There were 2,716 fans in Shaw Park. You will recall that I had something here yesterday about the problems the Explorers were having fielding a team because a majority of their players aren’t vaccinated and even some of those who are vaccinated didn’t want to come over the U.S.-Canada border for fears of testing positive and having to quarantined. . . . Here’s Ted Wyman of the Winnipeg Sun: “That was a big problem for the Explorers, who had only nine of 24 players on the roster who were vaccinated. Eight of those nine vaccinated players were leery about crossing the border and chose not to travel to Winnipeg. So the Explorers signed a bunch of players from the Pecos League, considered a step down from the American Association, to travel to Winnipeg.”
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
——
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
——
Or, for more information, visit right here.
Saturday at 1 p.m. PT at the Toyota Center in Kennewick, Wash. . . . The Americans are in need of a new head coach after not re-signing Kelly Buchberger, who had been in the position for the previous three seasons. He has since signed a three-year deal with the Montreal Canadiens as an assistant coach for their AHL affiliate, the Laval Rocket. . . . On Monday, the Americans’ website still listed Buchberger as head coach. It also shows Don Nachbaur as associate coach and Eli Wilson as goaltending coach. . . . Nachbaur joined the Americans on Feb. 18, but contract terms weren’t announced. Earlier, Nachbar spent six seasons (2003-09) as the Americans’ head coach. He also has worked as a WHL head coach with the Seattle Thunderbirds and Spokane Chiefs. . . . With 692 regular-season WHL coaching victories, Nachbaur is the winningest active coach in the league. That total also leaves him third on the all-time list, behind Don Hay (750), now an assistant coach with the Portland Winterhawks, and the retired Ken Hodge (742). . . . Hay spent two seasons (1998-2000) as the Americans’ head coach.
Winterhawks, has signed a two-year contract with HC Davos of Switzerland’s National League. Knak, 19, is from Zurich. He was selected by the Nashville Predators in the sixth round of the NHL’s 2021 draft. He is expected to attend Nashville’s development camp Aug. 15-20 and then return to Davos. . . . Knak had three goals and five assists in 25 games with Davos in 2020-21, then rejoined the Winterhawks and put up 16 goals and 13 assists in 24 games in the WHL’s development season. In 2019-20, he had nine goals and 25 assists in 49 games with Portland. . . . Knak also is the captain of Switzerland’s national junior team. . . . When it comes to other import players, the Winterhawks hold the CHL rights to Swedish G Jesper Wallstedt, whom they acquired from the Moose Jaw Warriors, and Czech D Marek Alscher, who was selected in the CHL’s 2021 import draft. Neither Wallstedt nor Alscher has signed a WHL contract. . . . Danish D Jonas Brondberg was on Portland’s roster when the 2021 development season ended — he had six assists in 20 games — but he’s 20 so would be a two-spotter if he was to return.
Explorers for three American Association games this week — today, Wednesday and Thursday. The Goldeyes didn’t play at all in 2020; until now, they have been playing their 2021 ‘home’ games in Jackson, Tenn. . . . Now they have permission from health officials to return home. . . . However, it seems the Explorers have some, uhh, issues. . . . Tim Hynds of the Sioux City Journal reports that “the majority of Explorers players have decided not to get the COVID-19 vaccine. . . . Due to vaccine and testing requirements for entry into Canada, and a low team vaccination rate, the majority of the Sioux City roster will not be making the trip.” . . . That includes manager Steve Montgomery. . . . “We’re not all going,” Montgomery told Hynds. “There are not many of us going, I can tell you that. It’s definitely going to be a home field advantage. I can’t really comment too much further on it, but I can say that myself and my pitching coach won’t be going, and a lot of the players in that locker room are not going to be going as well.” . . . Wait! There’s more!! . . . Hynds also wrote: “Due to fears of a possible positive test, which would require a 10-day quarantine, most of the current Sioux City roster has decided to not go, including many of the players who are vaccinated.” . . . Bruce Fischback, the team’s trainer who is fully vaccinated, told Hynds: “There are so many misconceptions about the vaccine that are floating around, that that scared a lot of people. You try to present them with the evidence, but there is nothing more powerful than Facebook University. It’s hard to fight that public perception.” . . . Hynds’ complete story on this gong show is 
TAKING NOTE 