Erik Hurtado’s time with CF Montreal is already up, but not primarily because of a sporting decision.

CF Montreal and the Columbus Crew announced on Thursday that they agreed to a trade that sent Hurtado to the reigning MLS Cup champs while the Canadian side got $200,000 in General Allocation Money in 2021 in return. The reason CF Montreal dealt the 30-year-old forward that the team just acquired in February, however, was because he would not be allowed to return to Canada per that government’s regulations since he has not received a COVID-19 vaccination.

“Because he is not vaccinated against COVID-19, his situation was problematic and we started considering a trade when we got the confirmation that the team could return to Montreal,” said CF Montreal sporting director Olivier Renard in a prepared statement. “Before proceeding, Erik also confirmed that he was not comfortable taking the vaccine, so we concluded this deal, which we felt was very satisfactory.

“We would like to thank Erik for his professionalism and wish him good luck in his career.”

orlando city loans dodson to hartford athletic

Orlando City’s first-round draft pick from 2021 is on the move. The Lions announced on Friday that they have loaned forward Derek Dodson to USL Championship side Hartford Athletic, with the condition of terminating the deal at any given time.

Dodson, 22, was the eighth overall pick in this year’s MLS Draft. He has yet to make an appearance for Orlando City.

dynamo ceo steps down 17 days after taking job

The Houston Dynamo are undergoing some organizational changes, as CEO Jamey Rootes has stepped down from his role 17 days after accepting the job. The Dynamo said in an official announcement that Rootes is taking a leave of absence from the team due to “personal reasons,” but will come back as a senior advisor at a later date.

Rootes was hired as the Dynamo’s CEO on June 22 when Ted Segal was presented as the team’s new majority owner. Dynamo president John Walker will now be the lead figure in managing the organization.

galaxy sign pair of players from usl side

The LA Galaxy have added a pair of players to their roster, acquiring midfielder Daniel Aguirre and defender Josh Drack from USL Championship side LA Galaxy II. Aguirre joins the MLS side on a one-year deal with team options for three additional seasons. Drack, meanwhile, arrives on a short-term loan.

Aguirre, 22, has started in all 13 of the matches he has played in this year for Galaxy II while scoring one goal. The 21-year-old Drack has netted once and delivered a team-high three assists in 12 starts and 13 appearances this season.