USA Hockey urged to end its dispute with women’s team

WASHINGTON — Pressure is mounting on USA Hockey in its wage dispute with the women’s national team.

On Monday, 16 U.S. senators wrote a letter to executive director Dave Ogrean, urging him to resolve the matter. The message came four days before the start of the women’s world championship, which players threatened to boycott if significant progress was not made toward an agreement.

USA Hockey’s board of directors held a meeting Monday afternoon but had not emerged with a resolution as of late Monday night. Players said Sunday in a statement that they were hopeful USA Hockey would agree to what was hammered out after 10plus hours of in-person talks a week ago.

The senators, all Democrats, cited the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act and told Ogrean he should ensure the team receives “equitable resources.”

They joined a chorus of support that includes unions representing players from the NHL, NBA, NFL and MLB. Those organizations said over the weekend they stood with the women’s team and criticized USA Hockey for attempting to find replacement players.

The U.S. is the defending champion at the International Ice Hockey Women’s World Championship, which begins Friday at Plymouth, Mich.

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 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.