U.S.A. Hockey, players making ‘progress’

U.S.A. Hockey and the women’s national team say their marathon meeting Monday was productive and they hope to have an agreement this week that will end their ongoing wage dispute and avoid a boycott of the upcoming world championships.

The sides met for more than 10 hours Monday in Philadelphia and discussions will continue this week. Players announced last week they’d boycott the upcoming world championships in Plymouth, Mich., unless progress was made toward a labour agreement.

U.S.A. Hockey and players released statements Monday night saying they hoped a deal would be reached in time for the tournament, which begins March 31.

Players said they were hopeful to get an agreement in time to have a training camp and prepare to defend their world championship gold medal on home ice.

“We feel like we made progress today,” star forward Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson said by telephone. “They were productive, and we are hopeful that we can come to a timely agreement that would get us to Plymouth in time to prepare as a team so that we could compete in worlds.”

In its statement, U.S.A. Hockey said its goal remains to have the team it selected for the world championships represent the U.S. later this month.

Players said negotiations with U.S.A. Hockey had been ongoing for 14 months over fair wages and equitable support. Lamoureux-Davidson said the meeting was positive in that the sides were in the same room talking on the verge of training camp, which was scheduled to begin Wednesday.

“We’re hopeful, I guess,” she 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 U.S.A. Hockey. We’re hopeful, I think, on both sides.”