Five-time Olympic medalist Hayley Wickenheiser says she hopes the U.S. women鈥檚 hockey team gets 鈥渁ll they are asking for鈥� in negotiations with USA Hockey, as they prepare to boycott Friday鈥檚 world championships in Michigan in a protest over compensation.
Wickenheiser told 愛污传媒 Channel that 鈥渞eally, what this (boycott) boils down to is the women鈥檚 team matters, women鈥檚 hockey matters.鈥�
Wickenheiser said that although the Canadian women鈥檚 relationship with Hockey Canada 鈥渨as never ideal,鈥� the organization at least made efforts to improve the conditions for players after each Olympics.
Canada鈥檚 women are paid $1,500 per month, 12 months per year, while the U.S. women say they are for the six months before an Olympic Winter Games and nothing the rest of the time.
The men are not paid but often make millions in the NHL and are flown around in business class, while the women are seated in economy class.
Wickenheiser said she believes 鈥減art of the reason we were able to win four Olympic gold medals (was) an understanding that you need medical care, you need physiotherapy, you need insurance, you need coverage, day care -- whatever it might be as you train and live like a pro athlete.鈥�
Canada鈥檚 women won the last four Olympic gold medals. The U.S. team won Olympic gold only once, in 1998 at Nagano, Japan.
Wickenheiser said that there continues to be a 鈥渉uge disparity鈥� in general between how female and male players are compensated.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think my lifestyle or the way that I approach the game is any different than an NHL player today,鈥� she added.
last week that said players in Olympic years can receive more than $90,000 in training stipends and other performance incentives, while in non-Olympic years they can receive 鈥�$24,000 each in cash training stipends.鈥�
USA Hockey also stated last week that it would attempt to use replacement players at the upcoming Ice Hockey Women鈥檚 World Championships.
Wickenheiser said she that she doesn鈥檛 expect to see that happen. Many of the potential substitutions have already said that they will not participate.
With a report from CTV鈥檚 Peter Akman and files from The Canadian Press and The Associated Press
