Rinaldo snubbed over lack of vax

The Columbus Blue Jackets announced Tuesday veteran

Zac Rinaldo will not be invited to the team's training camp over the forward's decision to not get vaccinated against COVID-19.

Rinaldo, signed to a two-way contract by Columbus last month, will begin the season with the club's AHL team in Cleveland.

“We're going to have 67 players in our camp and they're all going to be vaccinated,” Columbus president John Davidson said.

GM Jarmo Kekalainen said, “the ball is in his court right now” regarding Rinaldo's future with the team.

Rinaldo is set to make $275,000 with the Monsters as opposed to $750,000 with the Jackets.

Rinaldo, 31, spoke out against vaccine mandates at a People's Party of Canada rally last week.

“I'm not anti-vax, I'm not anti-mask. I'm pro-choice,” Rinaldo said at the rally, per reports.