It all started with the following tweet (okay, it didn't start here, this has been a debate for ages):
Someone say Kris Letang was back in town? #Pens #PuckBunnies @ Iceoplex at Southpointe instagr.am/p/UWh__sBS_O/(#Pens and #PuckBunnies were hashtagged, though I don't know if that's still showing up) and here's the picture:
— Dejan Kovacevic (@Dejan_Kovacevic) January 11, 2013
As is predictable on twitter nowadays, especially when DK tweets something, people split in half on it. Many thought it was funny (I favorited it), and many thought it was offensive (that isn't limited to women).
Personally, I can't comprehend why it is offensive at all. Broken down, his tweet amounts to Letang is back, that brings in puck bunnies, and he gives you a picture of people waiting outside of Southpointe for autographs. I don't know a single person that could argue that Letang does not attract puck bunnies. It is a running joke for Pens fans at all times, and let's be honest, it's true. We've all heard them, the girls who go crazy over Letang's hair, smile, or baby. To add to that, I'll never disrespect you for loving those things if you can talk about hockey (in a proportional manner to your ability to talk about the player). To me a puck bunny is a girl who goes crazy over those things but can't talk about the team/roster/player/sport as much as the player. Sadly, there are many puck bunnies that are excessively vocal about it. If you're reading this, odds HEAVILY favor you're not a puck bunny anyways.
One thing about DK's tweet though: I do not see where it says or implies all female fans or Letang fans or female Letang fans are puck bunnies. All I see is an implication that puck bunnies flock when Letang is around. I absolutely challenge you to refute that idea, because we all know puck bunnies chase Letang. Odds are, if you're a serious hockey fan, you've made fun of them too.
Probably the worst aspect of the tweet was that 95% of the women who would even follow Kovacevic are fantastic sports fans and certainly not puck bunnies. Unfortunately they are the people most likely to take offense because they are the ones who actually see the tweet, even though I highly doubt DK includes them in his puck bunny thoughts.
One last related point, and Stevie at High Heels & Hockey does a great job of covering this, I'm well aware guys swoon over female athletes as well. As she points out, we take way less flak for it overall. My response (not to her, but to the general idea): Instead of getting defensive, call us out for it just as much as we call out puck bunnies.
There's no need to attack guys who suggest the existence of puck bunnies. They really do exist. Just try not to assume we include you specifically in that group unless we give you reason to believe so.
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