Ex-Montreal Canadien Chris Nilan says he lost radio job over vaccine refusal

MONTREAL – Former Montreal Canadiens forward turned radio host Chris Nilan says he was fired from TSN 690, a Montreal sports radio station, after he refused to take a COVID-19 vaccine.

In a letter posted to Twitter on Thursday advising listeners of his departure, Nilan says his employer, Bell Media, ordered him to get vaccinated late last year.

He says he consulted his doctor and because of an unspecified medical condition he decided against vaccination.

Nilan says a request for an exemption was refused, and on Tuesday he received a letter signed by a Bell Media executive informing him his contract was being terminated, which he called an “unfair action.”

Nilan’s profile has been erased from the TSN 690 website. A spokesperson for Bell Media declined comment Friday, saying by email, “We do not comment on staffing-related matters.”

Nilan, who had hosted “Off the Cuff” on the station for several years, played 688 games in the National Hockey League between 1979 and 1992 with the Canadiens, Boston Bruins and New York Rangers.

Nicknamed “Knuckles” for his willingness to drop the gloves, he scored 225 points, including 110 goals, and spent 3,043 minutes in the penalty box.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 4, 2022.