More than 200 of the world’s top women’s hockey players have released a joint statement today, announcing that they will not play in any professional league this season unless changes are made to compensation, insurance plans and resource availability. Hilary Knight, Marie-Philip Poulin, Kendall Coyne Schofield, and Brianne Jenner are all among the group that is looking for a way to create a sustainable professional model for women’s hockey. The statement in full:
We are fortunate to be the ambassadors of this game that we revere so deeply and yet, more than ever, we understand the responsibility that comes with that ambassadorship: To leave this game in better shape than when we entered it. That is why we come together, over 200 players strong, to say it is time to create a sustainable professional league for Women’s Hockey.
While we have all accomplished so much, there is no greater accomplishment than what we have the potential to do right here and right now – not just for this generation of players, but for generations to come. With that purpose, we are coming together, not as individual players, but as one collective voice to help navigate the future and protect the players’ needs. We cannot make a sustainable living playing in the current state of the professional game. Having no health insurance and making as low as two thousand dollars a season means players can’t adequately train and prepare to play at the highest level.
Because of that, together as players, we will not play in ANY professional leagues in North America this season until we get the resources that professional hockey demands and deserves.
We may have represented different teams, leagues, and countries – but this sport is one family. And the time is now for this family to unite. This is the moment we’ve been waiting for – our moment to come together and say we deserve more. It’s time for a long-term viable professional league that will showcase the greatest product of women’s professional hockey in the world.” #ForTheGame
This comes after the surprising announcement earlier this year that the CWHL would be shutting down after financial issues. The NWHL, the other professional women’s league in North America, received an increased investment from the NHL, but is still not directly affiliated with the league. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has been clear in the past that the league may step in if there were no other options for women’s hockey.
A move like this boycott is a surprising one, but obviously necessary according to this group of players.
The problem for women’s hockey is the same as women’s basketball. Attendance numbers are terrible, because unfortunately people don’t care. If you could find someway to get a NHL player on the ice, that could be one way.
I say let them hold out and get paid 0 and ban them from the rinks until they stop holding out. There is no demand for women’s hockey, hence no revenue to pay them more. Honestly they are just hurting themselves and most people don’t care. All this does is affirm that I’ll never watch their brand of hockey.
unfortunately they have no leverage here. it would be great if it was easier for women to make it to the NHL, as women’s sports leagues dont have the appeal to be sustainable. im all for women having their own league and getting NHL opportunities, but unless the women’s leagues can make more money, such strikes are futile.
I don’t see how they’re going to get funding. I doubt the NHL has enough extra money to help fund them (like the NBA funds the WNBA) and they’re not going to get paid to play in 500 seat arenas with 50 fans. However, one of my ideas would be to make it ALL ABOUT SPORTS BETTING. Get all the teams on board and get live betting in the arena. Not sure how that would play out with state/county/country laws, but it’s an idea nonetheless.
This is like Blockbuster employees going on strike because they are not getting paid enough
Remember when Coyne Schofield almost won the fastest skater thing and Twitter demanded that the NHL pay her the same prize money?
It was the worst thing that ever happened to women’s hockey.
Because now Bettman won’t touch a WNHL with a ten foot pole. Why? Because the business model for women’s hockey calls for them to make $25,000 a year, but soon cries of sexism will demand that they pay them the same $650,000 minimum that men make and the league would lose tens of millions.
The NHL has no upside in being the good guy who saves women’s hockey only to be hated and called sexist soon afterward for doing so.
The best NHL players are lucky to make what a #3 starter in baseball does. Yet the women want to complain….
The responses to this are ridiculous and yet unsurprising.
The NHL absolutely has extra money to help fund this league.
Additionally I would be shocked if any of the respondents on this post have ever been to a NWHL or CWHL game.
Nope I’m sure nobody has. I’m sure nobody even cares to attend it either. That’s the point!
Lol girls always be whining that’s why we don’t wanna watch them.
All of these comments share the simple truth: women’s hockey doesn’t generate enough revenue to reward players with better compensation. If people, lots and lots and lots of people, won’t pay to watch women’s hockey, then players won’t get paid.
Unfortunate that this sport does not show itself as well as tennis and golf do. The fact is, female hockey players, for the most part, are not as talented as men in the lowest of minor leagues. There are 100’s of men on beer league teams that are better than most women (but not the elite). Most people won’t pay to see them either.
Very well thought out comment rowdelicious. You really must be quite the charming man.
It’s unfortunate, but the demand for women’s sport is very inconsistent between sports. And frankly, hockey is one of those sports where women don’t bring a different dimension than men, they really just play the same, but worse.
I think it’s incredibly petulant for these players to be complaining about not earning enough morning playing the sport they love. Do they not know how many millions of people have to choose between a job that pays the bills and their dreams? Join the club!
Why would any employer intentionally overpay their employees to such a degree that they make their business unsustainable? Provide a more compelling product and increase revenue and your salaries will follow. But otherwise, I have no sympathy…
The 2018 Olympic women’s hockey final was the most watched late night primestimr sports event in the history of NBC Sports. Millions and millions of viewers tune in to watch these players during the Olympics. Why shouldn’t they be compensated at an acceptable rate?
Again have any of you watched any of these games live? Have you ever attended CWHL or NWHL games? Do you have any idea what these women do in order to represent their countries on a national stage? Educate yourselves.
Yes I have watched games at the CWHL level. If you don’t acknowledge that there is a massive drop off in talent from the Olympic level to a “professional” game then it is clear that you haven’t.
Keeping their leagues alive would be a drop in the bucket for the NHL. It would be a rounding error amount of money. That said, business aren’t usually the open to handing out money in poor investments. I’m not sure what the answer is.
@dalrob – saying the CWHL is the equivalent to rec league or beer league men’s hockey is completely off-base. CWHL was on par with a fair amount of AUAA hockey or Junior A hockey that I’ve seen.
There is a market for women’s hockey, unfortunately the money, effort, and resources to market it isn’t there.
“Why shouldn’t they be compensated at an acceptable rate?” — Mark Black.
Seems like you’re the one who needs to be educated Mark. As many people have already stated, the revenues arent there. If the leagues aren’t making money, the players won’t be getting paid. it’s not that hard to understand.
This boycott of theirs is not a good look. The NHL has been around for over 100 years, built their league, fan base and revenue stream into what it is today. For another league to pull this garbage after what, a year or two, is insulting and in the future, I will go out of my way to avoid watching or supporting the NWHL in the future.
There is a women’s professional hockey league? Who knew. That reaction sums it all up. Yea, I’ll watch a women’s gold medal hockey game or woman’s world cup final every four years, but other then that, sorry no interest. I’d rather go have a root canal. The NHL has enough financial woes to worry about and does not need another one. Let the league die and we can move on to the next crisis.
Didn’t the women’s national team lose to an ACHA D2 club team in an exhibition?
Regardless, there is no demand, no reason to think money can be made. I doubt too many people are upset about a boycott of a league that recently folded.
who’s going to bet on women’s hockey? The over/under would probably be 2 every night…it’s a snoozefest. If they can’t draw enough people to be self-sustaining, nobody cares that they’re on strike.
BYE FELICIA!
Narrative, politics, and feelings — not reality and actual fairness — are important to Feminism.
If they don’t get what they want, they will move to include women in the NHL. Starts by removing the checking. Now THAT is something you can bank on.
Probably because no one knew their league existed
Probably because no one knew that their leagues existed.
But one of their leagues went bankrupt! Did you read the article?
Millions and millions of people watching it on TV for free doesn’t translate to people getting in their car, driving to the arena and paying to watch them play.