USA Hockey, Players “Hopeful” Deal Will Be Done This Week
USA celebrates gold with win over Canada
Last Wednesday, players on the U.S women's hockey team announced they would boycott the upcoming World Championships in Michigan later this month.
The team did not report to training camp, which was scheduled for March 21, over equitable support with USA Hockey. Representatives of the players have said, “Unless significant progress is made”, the players will not participate in the International Ice Hockey Federation tournament starting March 31st.
Following the announcement from the players on Wednesday, USA Hockey responded with a statement detailing its commitment to the U.S women’s national team program.
“In our role as the national governing body, USA Hockey trains and selects teams for international competition,” said Jim Smith, president of USA Hockey. “USA Hockey’s role is not to employ athletes and we will not do so. USA Hockey will continue to provide world-leading support for our athletes.”
The release prompted an immediate response from national team players and their representatives disputing the claims. Players said the statement on payments were misleading because it adds money from the U.S Olympic Committee, which offers bonuses for medals.
USA Hockey gave each of the 23 players on the roster until 5pm ET Thursday to decided whether they would honor the boycott. The players did not respond to the deadline.
“What we’re fighting for is not just an American hockey problem,” Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson said. “It’s a global problem.”
On Friday, both sides engaged in a public battle and issued statement that contested the other sides. Players responded with a detailed breakdown on the financial commitments from USA Hockey and how it is different from that received by the U.S Olympic Committee.
However, the battle goes beyond just paying athletes a livable wage but also the support and growth of women and girls hockey through USA Hockey development programs. During 2015 - 2016 USA Hockey's men's teams played 195 games while the women's teams played only 20 games.
USA Hockey countered with a rebuttal on how the organization has supported U.S national team athletes and their dedication to growing the program. “We remain committed to having the players that were selected to represent the U.S. in the upcoming women’s world championship to be the players that are on the ice when the tournament begins,” said Dave Ogrean, executive director of USA Hockey.
Women’s national team players receive $1,000 per month for a six-month period every four years from USA Hockey. Due to their training schedules, it’s impossible to hold a full-time job and with just $750 to $2,000 a month in stipends from the U.S.O.C that is barely enough to pay the bills.
After a few days of public dialogue, USA Hockey reached out to the player representatives to schedule a meeting for Monday in Philadelphia. The two sides met for 10 hours, working to reach an agreement on increased wage and support.
Sunday, the National Women’s Hockey League (NWHL) season ended in Lowell, MA with the Buffalo Beauts defeating the Boston Pride. Many national team players compete in the league, which had to cut player salaries to remain sustainable.
USA Defender Emily Pfalzer wins Isobel Cup with Buffalo Beauts in NWHL
Lamoureux-Davidson, twin sister Monique Lamoureux-Morando, captain Meghan Duggan, Hilary Knight, Kacey Bellamy and Kendall Coyne were among the players who took part in the meeting on the players’ side. President Jim Smith, executive director Dave Ogrean, treasurer Donna Guariglia and director of women’s hockey Reagan Carey were among those representing USA Hockey.
On the ice, the American women’s team has been highly successful, winning the last three world championships and six of the last eight.
USA Hockey and the women’s national team say the meeting Monday was “productive”, and they hope to have an agreement this week that will end their boycott of the upcoming world championship.
“We’re hopeful, I guess,” Lamoureux-Davidson said. “This morning [we thought], ‘Wait and see how this goes,’ and after today we’re all hopeful that we can make something work with USA Hockey. We’re hopeful, I think, on both sides.”
The two sides will continue discussions until progress toward the team's goal of higher wages and equitable support is met. Wednesday is supposed to be the start of pre-tournament training camp but has been postponed until further notice.
