Flu Shots

There is absolutely no excuse for the apparent 'policy' of not requiring NHL players to have flu shots to prevent illness and financial losses.

The Montreal Canadiens disastrous 'crash and burn' season of 2006-2007 was mainly due to the injury to Cristobal Huet and the fact the flu ravaged virtually the entire roster for almost two months, putting them into a death spiral from which they never recovered. They missed the playoffs, costing their owner millions of dollars in gate revenues and other monies.

I have enquired of sources at the Montreal Gazette to no avail but it is obvious there is some 1950-ish voodoo bias on the part of the administration, medical staff and players themselves that somehow flu shots diminish a player's efficacy. I'd like to see one study that shows ANY link between the flu vaccine and a lower level of competition. Show me a player with the flu and I'll show you man games lost, games lost and money lost. Don't tell me flu shots cause the flu, this has been disproven as superstitious rubbish. The reluctance to make NHL players have the flu shot reminds me of the resistance to flouridation in Montreal back in the day by conspiracy nuts and "Montana Freemen" types.

Time to enter the modern age and get the flu shot to prevent another '06-'07 debacle, get with it, Habs.