The womenB次元官网网址檚 national hockey team could be affected by the federal governmentB次元官网网址檚 decision to suspend funding to Hockey Canada, even though the problems stemmed from the menB次元官网网址檚 team.

The Canadian womenB次元官网网址檚 and para hockey teams rely heavily on federal funds to operate.

The bulk of training costs for menB次元官网网址檚 teams are borne by pro or junior clubs who loan players to Hockey Canada for international tournaments.

So when federal sport minister Pascale St-Onge froze Hockey CanadaB次元官网网址檚 funding over its handling of an alleged sexual assault by members of the 2018 world junior menB次元官网网址檚 team, the women worried about the financial fallout for their team.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a concern for sure,B次元官网网址� forward Blayre Turnbull said. B次元官网网址淲e consider ourselves professional athletes without the professional paycheque.

B次元官网网址淎 lot of our money comes from the government and comes from other organizations like that. Our program would be greatly impacted if the freezing of funds continues to happen.B次元官网网址�

Among the 142 senior and developmental players currently participating in a Calgary camp are 19 women who won Olympic gold in Beijing in February.

The first womenB次元官网网址檚 world championship to be held in the same calendar year as an Olympic Games opens Aug. 25 in Denmark.

CanadaB次元官网网址檚 women will attempt to defend the world title won a year ago in Calgary where they edged the U.S. in overtime in the final.

Their Denmark preparation isnB次元官网网址檛 curtailed, but the financial future of the womenB次元官网网址檚 program seems murky to the players under the current sanctions.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a valid concern, especially long term,B次元官网网址� said Gina Kingsbury, director of hockey operations for Hockey CanadaB次元官网网址檚 womenB次元官网网址檚 teams, to The Canadian Press. B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e entering territory that we donB次元官网网址檛 fully understand. IB次元官网网址檓 trying to focus on what I can control.

B次元官网网址淪hort term, the message from Hockey Canada was that we wonB次元官网网址檛 be affected here this season. ItB次元官网网址檚 normal to think long term, what are these impacts? If it affects Hockey Canada long term, it affects our womenB次元官网网址檚 program.B次元官网网址�

St-Onge suspended Hockey CanadaB次元官网网址檚 funding after TSNB次元官网网址檚 Rick Westhead reported the organization reached a financial settlement with a woman alleging members of the 2018 menB次元官网网址檚 world junior team sexually assaulted her at a Hockey Canada event.

Hockey Canada later revealed members of the 2003 world junior menB次元官网网址檚 team were under investigation for alleged sexual assault in Nova Scotia. The allegations havenB次元官网网址檛 been proven in court.

But federal money is withheld until Hockey Canada meets St-OngeB次元官网网址檚 conditions. They are a financial audit of the organization, producing the recommendations of an investigative report by a third-party law firm, developing an action plan to change culture, and becoming a signatory to the Office of the Integrity Commissioner.

Hockey Canada has taken steps to meet those terms, but St-Onge told members of Parliament last week the money wonB次元官网网址檛 start flowing again B次元官网网址渦ntil weB次元官网网址檙e satisfied the conditions have been met.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淚 think itB次元官网网址檚 really important that these issues are being talked about, that weB次元官网网址檙e going to get down to the bottom of it,B次元官网网址� womenB次元官网网址檚 forward Brianne Jenner said. B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 the hope and I think all Canadians want to see that.B次元官网网址�

The womenB次元官网网址檚 team received $6 million in Own The Podium funding over the four years leading into Beijing, where Canada edged the U.S. for gold, while the menB次元官网网址檚 teams received $1.8 million over the same quadrennial.

OTP directed $4 million during the Beijing quad to the all-male para hockey team that earned silver.

The women hope they wonB次元官网网址檛 pay a disproportionate price for the actions of others under the Hockey Canada umbrella.

B次元官网网址淎ctions have consequences and people are held accountable for those actions, but what I know is the womenB次元官网网址檚 hockey culture that weB次元官网网址檝e created, and itB次元官网网址檚 taken a lot of work, is a safe environment,B次元官网网址� defender Jocelyne Larocque said. B次元官网网址淚 think Canadians that follow us know that.B次元官网网址�

As full-time, high-performance athletes, the women and para hockey athletes receive monthly Sport Canada cheques from the Athletes Assistance Program (AAP) of about $1,800 per month.

Sport Canada has confirmed those cheques will continue.

B次元官网网址淭here has been no suspension of funding from the AAP to either the womenB次元官网网址檚 or Paralympic national team program carded athletes,B次元官网网址� a spokeswoman told The Canadian Press in an email.

While Imperial Oil, Scotiabank and TELUS withdrew their sponsorship of the world junior menB次元官网网址檚 hockey championship, those companies indicated they will continue to financially support youth programs and womenB次元官网网址檚 events.

B次元官网网址淚 hope the public understands that our womenB次元官网网址檚 game is healthy, that the culture weB次元官网网址檙e talking about doesnB次元官网网址檛 quite apply on our side,B次元官网网址� Kingsbury said.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e proud of the culture and environment weB次元官网网址檙e building, weB次元官网网址檙e proud of the program that we have, weB次元官网网址檙e proud of the people that are a part of that program, from top to bottom.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址� Donna Spencer, The Canadian Press