U.S. women's hockey team stuck in Florida with Hurricane Irma looming

The U.S. women's hockey team is stuck near Tampa Bay, Florida, with Hurricane Irma expected to hit the area around Sunday afternoon, according to USA TODAY Sports.

USA Hockey's decision not to evacuate the team has drawn heavy criticism from some of the players' agents.

"Six months out from the Olympics why would you put your best athletes through the stress of a hurricane?" agent Brant Feldman told USA TODAY Sports on Saturday.

Irma is supposed to hit the Tampa Bay area directly, with winds expected to reach 75 mph.

The American players have been training in Wesley Chapel, which is about 25 miles north of downtown Tampa.

USA Hockey said in a statement that the team wasn't located in an evacuation zone, officials have been in "regular communication with local authorities," and "arrangements are in place to move to an evacuation center if necessary."

Given that Irma is already a category 3 storm that's expected to strengthen, it's easy to wonder what USA Hockey deems as "necessary."

"I wish my clients well and hope for their health and well being as they ride out a hurricane 3 or 4 because they weren't evacuated," Feldman said.

Numerous sporting events across the state, including MLB games, NHL camps, and college football games, have since been relocated to other venues or postponed, so it's no surprise Feldman is irate.

"All of these men's teams evacuated, why isn't the women's team evacuated?" Feldman said. "Is it because they are just girls ... to me this is stupid, they are our Olympic team."

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