Nilan says he was fired from radio job for refusing vaccine

MONTREAL (AP) — Former NHL enforcer Chris Nilan says he was fired from a Montreal sports radio station for refusing to get a COVID-19 vaccine.

In a letter posted to social media Thursday advising listeners of his departure from TSN 690, the 63-year-old Nilan said a request for an exemption was refused and he received a letter Tuesday signed by a Bell Media executive informing him his contract was being terminated.

Nilan said Bell Media ordered him to get vaccinated late last year. Nilan said he consulted with his doctor and, because of an unspecified medical condition, decided against vaccination. Bell Media declined to comment Friday.

Nilan, who hosted “Off the Cuff” on the station, had 110 goals, 115 assists and 3,043 penalty minutes in 688 NHL games with Montreal, Boston and the New York Rangers between 1979 and 1992.