US women hope bond forged by pay fight leads to Olympic gold

WESLEY CHAPEL, Fla. — Hilary Knight was listening to the radio when she heard the U.S. women’s hockey team come up.

It wasn’t about a big win on the ice. It was about a fight off the ice that ended with a better labour deal.

“It’s a big deal,” the two-time Olympic silver medallist said. “Women’s hockey now is on the map. And not only did we fight for things in our sport for the next generation, but hopefully we inspired other people outside.”

Threatening to boycott the world championships last March landed the United States women’s national hockey team a pay raise and some of the perks USA Hockey gives the men. Standing together to earn a deal reached only three days before playing rival Canada to kick off the world championships brought them closer together, a bond they used to win their fourth straight world title.

The Americans believe their chemistry couldn’t be stronger and could help them achieve their ultimate goal: ending a 20-year drought by winning Olympic gold at the 2018 Winter Games.

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Knight says a delicate balance is required.

“After a win like that on both fronts, you sort of feel untouchable,” Knight said. “You’ve changed the world. You’re hoping that you’ve changed the other industries for the better. But also, too, realizing you have to have humility and the opponent’s right around the corner, building, working, doing the same things you’re doing, and every time you show up at the rink it’s a 50-50 battle and you’ve got to be at the top of that battle.”

Earning better pay was something the Americans had fought for, and lost, before.

Angela Ruggiero, currently a member of the International Olympic Committee’s executive board, had to work as a security guard the summer before the 1998 Olympics to make a few extra bucks. Ruggiero said her team had a similar fight in 2000 and that it was time again for a “a real, contested sort of debate.”

“They stood their ground and fought for what they believe was right,” she said of the current team.

Timing mattered.

The United States had won the world championships seven times when the women threatened March 15 to boycott the IIHF Women’s World Championship after a year of negotiations. They stuck together until a new four-year contract was reached March 28. The Americans received support from the unions for the NHL, NFL, NBA and Major League Baseball along with 16 U.S. senators.

Under the new contract, USA Hockey will be putting more money into women’s hockey with the national team receiving the same $50 per diem per day as the men along with similar travel and insurance perks. A women’s advisory group also is supposed to feature former and current players to help grow women’s hockey.

The women also are receiving more money per month during Olympic training, which began in September. Winning gold would mean bonuses of $57,500 from the U.S. Olympic Committee and USA Hockey combined.

“It’s been great to see progress since then, where USA team athletes can just play hockey,” Ruggiero said. “That’s not to say you’ll make a lot of money, but it defers some of the expense of meals, rent and travel.”

The Canadians, winners of the last three Olympic gold medals, took notice. Canada puts more money into the sport in part because of government funding, and Hockey Canada officials said players are supported full-time for nine months around the Olympics.

“It’s amazing that they’ve brought women’s hockey a step closer to where it should be, and I think in time it’s only a matter of when as female athletes we’ll be able to play the game we love and get paid,” Canadian forward Meghan Agosta said of the Americans. “I think hockey’s come a long way and they kind of set the bar high.”

The U.S. women found themselves honoured by the Women’s Sports Foundation in October with the Wilma Rudolph Courage award . They’ve heard from politicians, celebrities and people like Billie Jean King.

In the end, what will matter most is how the Americans fare on what remains the biggest stage for women’s hockey when the Olympics begin in February in South Korea. They’ve beaten Canada three out of four games this fall as part of their pre-Olympic exhibition tour, including twice in winning their third straight Four Nations Cup championship.

U.S. coach Robb Stauber said the players’ unity was a great thing in reaching the new contract. But Stauber said different goals often require a different approach, though the women’s bond can carry over.

“You got to stick together,” Stauber said.

Defenceman Gigi Marvin, a two-time silver medallist and the team’s oldest player at 30, said the Americans already have established that they’re a very close group. And captain Meghan Duggan said the bond they have gave them energy and momentum they used at the world championships. They also learned a lot about themselves through that fight.

“For sure, it brought us closer,” Duggan said. “Right now we’re focused … on doing what we need to do to achieve our ultimate goal.”

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AP Sports Writer Melissa Murphy contributed to this report.

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https://www.apnews.com/tag/WinterOlympics

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Follow Teresa M. Walker at www.twitter.com/teresamwalker

Teresa M. Walker, The Associated Press