USA Hockey won't 'employ' women's team, but touts increased 'support'

The governing body for American hockey says it will help the members of its national women's team, but only to a point.

USA Hockey executive director Dave Ogrean and president Jim Smith sent mixed messages in a dual statement while responding to the threat of a boycott for the upcoming World Championship made earlier Wednesday by players Meghan Duggan and Hilary Knight over unfair wages.

"We acknowledge the players’ concerns and have proactively increased our level of direct support to the women’s national team as we prepare for the 2018 Winter Olympic Games,” Ogrean said. “We have communicated that increased level of support to the players’ representatives and look forward to continuing our discussions.”

Here's what USA Hockey claims to be offering its players in preparations for the Olympics:

• Six-month training camp.
• Additional support stipends and incentives for medals that could result in each player receiving $85,000 over the training and performance period.
• Housing allowance, travel allowances, meal expenses, medical and disability insurance, and infrastructure that includes "elite-level" support staff to to train and prepare players.

Management isn't willing to go too far beyond that, though.

“In our role as the national governing body, USA Hockey trains and selects teams for international competition,” Smith said. “USA Hockey’s role is not to employ athletes and we will not do so. USA Hockey will continue to provide world-leading support for our athletes.”

USA Hockey also said that while it's "disappointed" in the players' threat of a boycott, the organization is willing to continue discussing the matter.

The 2017 IIHF Women's World Championship opens March 31 in Plymouth, Mich., and players are scheduled to arrive 10 days before the tournament begins.

U.S. players say they won't report until meaningful progress is made in their negotiations, which they claim have been delayed for over a year.