The United States women’s national hockey team will be playing under a new one year-contract when it takes the ice at the 2021 IIHF Women’s World Championships on Friday.
USA Hockey confirmed the contract to ESPN on Sunday.
Set to expire on Aug. 31, 2022, the deal will also cover the team for the 2022 Olympics in Beijing. The one-year contract allows both sides to wait out the COVID-19 pandemic and see what the economic picture looks like next summer.
The agreement comes as the historic four-year contract signed in 2017 reaches its conclusion. When negotiating that contract, the women battled USA Hockey for equitable treatment, going so far as to threaten a boycott of the 2017 IIHF World Championships.
Under the new deal, between the world championships and the Olympics, players stand to make up to $126,750 each if the team wins gold at both tournaments. If they win silver at both, each player will receive $105,500. The money is made up of stipends and bonuses, paid out by USA Hockey and the USOPC.
Players will continue to receive the same salaries ($50 per day) and payments for child care ($1,000 per child, per month).
The U.S. will look to win its sixth straight gold medal at the world championships beginning Friday.