NWHL, NCAA players refuse to be 'scabs' if national team skips worlds

While the U.S. women's national team speaks out in its wage dispute with USA Hockey, the governing body's backup plan isn't being well received.

No one invited to replace the boycotting women has publicly declared a desire to take their place.

Many NCAA players tweeted the same statement and hashtag Friday, making their stance clear.

Players in the National Women's Hockey League have also unanimously dismissed the invitation so far.

"What it basically came down to for us is, 'How do we foster the continued growth and development of women's hockey if we're willing to play at (the) worlds as scabs?'" NWHLPA director and Connecticut Whale player Anya Battaglino told ESPN.com's Johnette Howard.

"We're basically taking the position that if you're not for us, you're against us. I don't know of any player who (gave) USA Hockey (a) 'yes.'"

Blake Bolden of the NWHL's Boston Pride didn't flinch when USA Hockey's invitation arrived in her email inbox Wednesday.

"I didn't even have to open it - I knew what it was about, and I thought, 'Well, the national team women must be doing something right for things to get to this,'" she said.

"It's a bit desperate by USA Hockey. They're going so far as to email every hockey player they can think of, or every player that was in the USA pool that they previously cut and told they were never going to reach out to again. And everyone I know is telling them, 'I support the national team.'"

A source close to the team told Yahoo Sports' Greg Wyshynski on Saturday that USA Hockey is now contacting Division III and high-school players as a new backup plan.

The U.S. national women's team members threatened to boycott the World Championship - which begins Friday in Michigan - unless significant progress is made in negotiations.

Both the NHLPA and the MLBPA threw their support behind the U.S. women's team Friday.

Training camp, which would have opened earlier this week, has been postponed.