Group of U.S. senators urge USA Hockey to end dispute with women's team
'These elite athletes indeed deserve fairness and respect'
Sixteen U.S. senators wrote a letter to USA Hockey's executive director Monday over their concerns about the treatment of the women's national team.
Players have threatened to boycott the upcoming world championships over a wage dispute. The senators, all Democrats, urged David Ogrean to resolve the matter and ensure the team receives "equitable resources." They cited the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act.
USA Hockey's board of directors meets Monday, and players said Sunday night they hope there's a deal.
The senators, all Democrats, joined a chorus of support that includes unions representing players from the NHL, NBA, NFL and Major League Baseball. Those organizations said over the weekend they stood with the women's team and criticized USA Hockey for attempting to find replacement players.
Prominent NHL agent Allan Walsh tweeted Sunday, "Word circulating among NHL players that American players will refuse to play in men's World Championships in solidarity with the women."
Zach Bogosian, an American-born Buffalo Sabres defenceman, went to high school with U.S. captain Meghan Duggan. He tweeted his support and said he hopes the dispute is resolved.
Our hockey family stands proud and united with the women of the US National Team who are fighting for a better future. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BeBoldForChange?src=hash">#BeBoldForChange</a>
—@BogosianZachThe U.S. is the defending champion at the International Ice Hockey Women's World Championship, which begins Friday in Plymouth, Michigan.
In negotiations over the past 15 months, players have asked for a four-year contract that pays them outside the six-month Olympic period. The senators' letter notes the $6,000 US that players earn around the Olympics and USA Hockey's $3.5 million annual spending on the men's national team development program and other discrepancies.
"These elite athletes indeed deserve fairness and respect, and we hope you will be a leader on this issue as women continue to push for equality in athletics," the senators wrote.
In a statement Sunday night, players said they hoped USA Hockey would approve terms discussed during a meeting last week. They said the agreement has the "potential to be a game changer for everyone."
The letter was signed by: Elizabeth Warren and Edward Markey of Massachusetts, Patty Murray of Washington, Dianne Feinstein of California, Patrick Leahy of Vermont, Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire, Sherrod Brown of Ohio, Thomas Carper of Delaware, Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin, Robert Menendez and Cory Booker of New Jersey, Mazie Hirono of Hawaii, Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, Kirsten Gillibrand of New York and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota.