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#ForTheGame: More than 200 women’s hockey players call for sustainable pro league, plan to sit out otherwise

MiHockey Staff

 

By @StefanKubus – 

Thursday morning, more than 200 women released a statement calling for an overhaul of women’s professional hockey.

The group, that includes prominent names like Marie-Philip Poulin, Hilary Knight and Kendall Coyne-Schofield, has also stated they will not play this season until their demands are met.

“We will not play in ANY professional leagues in North America this season until we get the resources that professional hockey demands and deserves,” said in a released statement from the group.

“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.”

The move comes shortly after the Canadian Women’s Hockey League announced it was ceasing operations on March 31 after 12 years.

Knight said she believes it’s a “nerve-racking” move, but a necessary one.

“The thought of not playing in a pro league [next season] is daunting and nerve-racking,” said Knight. “But we firmly believe we’re doing the right thing for our sport and that when we do play, we will do so in a league that embodies the values of our game. We can see where our game is now and where it has to be in order to be sustainable in the long term.”

The full statement, released Thursday morning:

 

 

Michigan’s own Megan Keller is one of the players taking part in the new initiative.