United States senators send letter to USA Hockey in support of women's team boycott

The standoff between the United States women's national hockey team and USA Hockey doesn't seem to be getting any better, and now politicians are stepping in.

In search of equitable support, the women's team announced earlier this month that they would not be playing in the upcoming World Championships -- being hosted on home soil in Michigan -- unless support from USA Hockey increased.

USA Hockey responded with a statement -- one that was called "inaccurate and dishonest, at best" by U.S. star Hilary Knight -- and said they would ice a team of replacements if the current players continued to boycott. The women's team didn't budge, and there's been no clear sign of progress at all.

On Monday, Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren and more than a dozen other senators (all Democrats) sent a letter to the executive director of USA Hockey declaring support for the women's boycott and asking the program to offer more support and end the dispute in a timely manner.

We'll have to wait and see if this affects anything between the two sides, but it can't hurt for the players. The men's national team is also considering withdrawing from this summer's World Championships in solidarity with the women, so USA Hockey may feeling some extra pressure to get a deal done.

As for the women's World Championships, it seems unlikely this dispute reverses course before the start of the tournament on March 31 in Plymouth Township.