New Jersey Devils goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood came out before the season to say he was the one player on the team who was not yet vaccinated. He said he was working through some medical things and was not sure if he was going to get it or not. A few weeks ago, he said he was closer to making a decision, and it looks like he’s decided to get the two-shot regimen from Pfizer.
CORRECTION: Mackenzie Blackwood has started the vaccination process for COVID-19, a Devils team spokesman has confirmed. He received the 1st dose of the vaccine at the end of last week. He will have to continue following unvaccinated protocols until two weeks after the 2nd dose.
— Corey Masisak (@cmasisak22) October 25, 2021
This is true about following the protocols. Since he is getting the Pfizer vaccine, he has to wait three weeks after his first dose to get the second dose, then another two weeks after that until he’s considered “fully vaccinated”. So, let’s say he got the first dose yesterday. That means he is on pace to be fully vaccinated before December 1st.
That means that Blackwood will be able to play the Devils’ first game in Canada. They take on the Winnipeg Jets on December 3rd. They play a couple of games in Canada in January and March, as well.
The best part about this is that Blackwood got the right information and was able to get vaccinated. He can play in the Devils games in the country of Canada and he can play for Team Canada in the Olympics. This is the best decision for him and for the team.
The best part about this is it’s almost over. Blackwood will get vaccinated. He will be asked about it when he returns from his heel injury. His answer will probably be a nonanswer, but for once that will be fine. It doesn’t matter his reasoning, or what pushed him over the edge. It matters that he got it and we can move on with our lives.
Don’t get us wrong, we are very happy he decided to change his vaccination status. We’re just more happy for his teammates and coaches. They don’t have to answer questions from (the few) reporters about it. They can focus on hockey. With a 3-1-0 start to the season, the Devils might be pretty good. They didn’t need this as an issue any longer.