A meeting of USA Hockey’s BOD as of early yesterday evening had "not yielded a resolution to the pay dispute with the American women’s national team, but the players’ network of support had expanded to Congress," according to Seth Berkman of the N.Y. TIMES. Twenty U.S. Senators "urged a quick solution to the standoff," and a few even "sent a letter to USA Hockey" urging a resolution. USA Hockey Assistant Exec Dir of Hockey Operations Jim Johannson yesterday said he had "nothing to say" on the matter. A spokesperson for Ballard Spahr, which represents the players, wrote in an email that it had "no comment" on the meeting (N.Y. TIMES, 3/28). USA TODAY's A.J. Perez notes there "remains some hope a deal could be worked out before the IIHF Women's World Championships begin later this week." Yesterday's emergency board meeting "didn't yield a deal that would mark the end of the threatened boycott by the 23 players, and negotiations are expected to continue" today (USA TODAY, 3/28).
A LEAGUE ALL THEIR OWN: In Philadelphia, John Smallwood writes under the header, "U.S. Women Ice Hockey Players Need League Of Their Own." It is "pathetic that they are guaranteed only $1,000 a month for six months leading to an Olympics." If NHLers vowing to stand with the women are "serious about wanting to help women's hockey, they should approach" NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman with a proposal to "subsidize a women's professional league as the NBA did" with the WNBA. If it had the "financial stomach and followed the WNBA blueprint, the NHL could easily subsidize a six-team women's league and give players the opportunity to show that their sport could be viable at the professional level" (PHILLY.com, 3/28). In DC, Deron Snyder writes under the header "Women's Team Deserves Better." The women have a "strong case, illustrated by stark and long-running differences in travel, accommodations, meals, staffing, marketing, wages and benefits." The women's team is "one of America's most successful squads in winter sports and deserves better" (WASHINGTON TIMES, 3/28). NBC’s Lester Holt said a decision in the women’s team's favor “could mark a major victory for women in the ongoing fight for equal pay and equal rights.” USA Today columnist Nancy Armour said, “The women, in the grand scheme of things, are not asking for that much and yet USA Hockey is saying, ‘No, we want to pay you pennies.’ They’ve been hit with a wave of negative publicity (and) it’s only going to get worse” (“Nightly News,” NBC, 3/27).
