PSP Phan Pheedback: "Puck Bunny"

Written by Rachel Kauffman

Today while browsing my Twitter feed, I came upon two female hockey fans in the midst of a heated argument. Apparently they differed on their opinions of the term “puck bunny” and it’s connotation within the hockey universe. I figured as one of the minority female hockey fans devoted to PSP, I’d weigh in my opinion on the topic.

I have not always been a hockey fan. The sport was something I picked up watching in college when my friends played for our school’s team. It was fun rooting them on and eventually, once I made it to my first couple pro-games, it grew on me to the point of a pseudo-obsession. For me, it was never about the players being hot (they are by the way), but the passion behind the sport. Between the cheering crowds and the blood on the ice, there was such an overwhelming energy that it was hard not to want more once the game was over. Additionally, there was something amazing about the fact that men within a few years of my age were the ones getting this much excitement.

Now given my love of hockey started when I was going to school in PA, naturally I became a Flyers fan. It didn’t hurt that I was already an all-around Philly sports fan either. However, when I moved home to DC recently, people questioned why I wasn’t a Caps fan as well. Here’s where my “puck bunny” mentality kicks in…

As a female hockey fan who respects the sport, how could I possibly join the bandwagon of an organization that promotes things like Caps Scarlett? For anyone who has ever browsed their website, instead of hockey players, you get head shots of wannabe models. Don’t get me wrong, Mike Green is a hottie with a Mohawk but I’d rather see him doing what he does best on the ice than posing in a tiny shirt with a stick. What I find to be even more degrading is the ‘Hockey for Dummies’ like set up explaining positions and penalties along with other hockey lingo. I’m sorry, but real fans either know the sport or they don’t. There’s something middle age about any organization that treats their female fan base like chicks who just want to impress hockey boys with their fake hockey knowledge while browsing what looks like a dating site.

I’ve joked about being a “puck bunny” because I’ve been with my own special hockey boy for what seems like forever, but I can’t justifiably find that to be a redeeming quality in anyone. If being a “puck bunny” means going to games simply to impress the players, news flash girls: they aren’t noticing. It didn’t work for SOAPnet quality programming (yes there was actually a soap opera about puck bunnies and their hockey men) therefore it’s probably not going to work for you. It was never about not wanting to jump on the Ovie train, it was about not wanting to be considered to be one of those kinds of girls. I’ll take my chances bleeding black and orange and being just a fan, regardless of gender.