Reports indicate USA Hockey has contacted other players for Women’s Worlds; National Team responds

By @MichaelCaples –

A report from USA Today this evening said USA Hockey has been contacting players not currently on the roster for the Women’s World Championship – a necessary move to create a team if the current players of the Women’s National Team continue their boycott.

Just before 9 p.m., the Women’s National Team released the following statement through their legal team:

The players are aware that USA Hockey is attempting to secure a team to play in the World Championship, in case the players and USA Hockey are unable to reach agreement. As we have maintained from the beginning, this issue is about more than the compensation of the current team: it’s about equitable treatment for female players now and in the future. A forward-looking agreement will benefit the next generation of players even more than the current players. For that reason, and the fact that the younger players identify with us, we are confident that they would choose not to play.

Some in the media have asked if USA Hockey made a counter proposal. They did—they made a disappointing offer that didn’t reflect the progress of the negotiations. We ask that they approve the original agreement that, the players believed, was acceptable to both parties after Monday’s meeting.

Unless there is an agreement, the players remain resolved to bypass the defense of the World Championship.

Deadlines are already starting to be passed with no resolution between the two sides; training camp in Traverse City was supposed to start Wednesday, and the U.S. was to play Finland in a scrimmage on Saturday afternoon at Centre Ice Arena. At this point, all U.S. activities will start in Plymouth.