Islanders Loan Bode Wilde to Swedish Club Following Refusal to Vaccinate

Bode Wilde won’t get to play in North America after he opted to no receive the COVID-19 vaccination. Wilde was loaned to Vasterviks IK in Swedan.

Wilde was the lone New York Islanders player to not be vaccinated and thus will not be playing for the Isles or its AHL affiliate in Bridgeport. General manager Lou Lamoriello announced ahead of camp that anyone who wasn’t vaccinated wouldn’t be playing for the Islanders’ organization this season.

#Isles announce Bode Wilde has been loaned to Vasterviks IK (Sweden).

— Christian Arnold (@C_Arnold01) September 28, 2021

Lamoriello also told reporters that one player did not get vaccinated, but wouldn’t reveal who it was. It became apparent on Thursday when Wilde was not on the training camp roster and later outed himself in a comment on social media.

“Hoping my human rights are enough to let me play… what a world,” Bode Wilde wrote in an Instagram comment.

The Islanders had been working to place Wilde with another club so that he could continue his development.

“I do know this, he’s going to play hockey,” Islanders head coach Barry Trotz said. “We’re just trying to find him the best place that he can continue to develop. We think he’s a pretty good prospect.”

Bode Wilde was selected 41st overall by the Islanders in 2018. The 21-year-old spent 73 games in the OHL with the Saginaw Spirit before making the jump to the AHL during the 2019-20 season.

He’s played in 42 games with Bridgeport and has three goals and eight points in that span.