More than 200 women’s professional hockey players released a joint statement last week saying they will not participate in any North American pro league for the 2019-20 season. By threatening to sit out games for an entire year, players are hoping to push for the formation of a single, more sustainable, women’s hockey league.
Their statement was released on May 2, just one day after the Canadian Women’s Hockey League officially ceased all operations, citing an economically unstable business model. That left the National Women’s Hockey League as the only existing women’s pro hockey league in North America.