The Female Fan vs. Puck Bunny

In my opinion, any woman that is willing to engage in educated hockey chatter with the big boys is a femme fatale no matter the size of her jersey (or lack thereof). Before my eyes there’s a thin line between the avid female fan and the dreaded Puck Bunny no matter the team in the world of NHL, therefor said dreaded title is often tossed around in all the wrong (and right) places but it’s not just the men in this testosterone pumped sport slapping the shameful label onto the undeserving.

For those very few of you unaware of the term “Puck Bunny” for the objective of this article I’m defining it as a woman (or heck, male!) that attends games or player oriented events with the intentions of pursuing the players for sexual or monetary purposes of personal gain. To me, this doesn’t mean judging well dressed, high heel wearing women based on their appearance alone. True, this is Tampa, an area well known for its populous gentleman’s clubs, but unless she’s wearing no clothes and literally nine inch heels it’s really not fair to judge someone for not wearing a jersey to a game. It’s nice to be spirited, but that shouldn’t automatically label someone as a Bunny.

Additionally, women notice things men don’t which is essentially common knowledge, right? Please, Mr., tell me you that while watching women’s soccer you haven’t checked out Hope Solo. Don’t even get me started on the lingerie football league! We women are going to notice if someone’s attractive, we may have our favorite players even based on that alone but that does not make one a Puck Bunny! Victor Hedman may very well be Aphrodite’s gift to women however that does not make one a Puck Bunny stating a fact nor does it change the fact that he’s a beyond fantastic defenseman. Honestly, I’m going to fangirl over Hedman as some women do Steven Stamkos, Vincent Lecalvalier, Teddy Purcell, etc. but unless someone’s stalking them to the bar to buy them drinks in shimmery, skintight, v-neck dress I’m going to say that makes no one a Puck Bunny.

Dear Ladies, girl on girl crime at any age is so uncalled for. Throwing around a term like Puck Bunny is the same as calling them a slut…it’s not any classier and it certainly doesn’t make you look like any more of a “real fan”! Unless you know for an absolute fact, stop slinging the term at undeserving girls. For one, you don’t really know how old the so called Puck Bunny may be, she could be sixteen for all you know! If you’re 35 and calling out a sixteen year old you’re setting a spectacular example…sarcasm. Secondly, as if women don’t face enough struggle earning respect in the sport you should be less worried about them making you look bad while you’re looking like a catty high schooler for being concerned with their ‘extracurricular activities’. I get it, you may genuinely care for the guys but come on, spreading gossip when you should be spreading statistics isn’t going to make you more respectable at all.

I follow hilarious twitter accounts such as Drunk Stanley and what previously was Puck Slut It Up. I thought the latter was absolutely hilarious. This can only be a hurtful term when false if you let it be! If men want to call us Puck Sluts because we think Nate Thompson can rock the no teeth look laugh it off. Seriously, I wish Puck Slut It Up was still around, she was by far one of my favorite female hockey accounts. I understand that you say players need the respect they deserve but anyone in the public eye is going to have to deal with that and what’s the harm in a few comical jokes about Stammy’s butt? I don’t see it if there is any.

Besides, if someone found me attractive and intimidating enough to be waste their breath calling me a Puck Bunny in a derogatory way instead of a Slump Buster, I’d be flattered.