Jamie Nye: Women vs U.S. hockey all about leverage

Could we see a Women’s World Hockey Championships without the United States, while the tournament is being played in the U.S.?

The American national team says it’ll boycott the tournament that starts in two weeks unless USA Hockey starts taking their concerns seriously.

The struggle for women’s hockey players both north and south of the 49th has been a long one. They bring in exposure for their respective hockey associations. They win a ton of medals as well and the women’s world hockey championships is their biggest stage.

But the men’s programs get much more support from teen years all through to the pros.

U.S. women aren’t looking to get rich here. They are looking for a little bit more money, sure, but also a lot more support, training and benefits.

The U.S. women definitely have leverage with the world’s coming up in their own country. U.S. hockey definitely doesn’t need that. They have more to lose than the players, who are almost guaranteed gold or silver for years to come.

And in negotiations, it’s all about leverage. I’d expect USA Hockey to make some concessions to get these women back on the ice as quick as possible.