NHL wives and girlfriends targeted by sexist text messages fight back

In case you've been living under a rock the past 24 hours allow me to get you up to speed on hockey fans' newest punching bag: Washington Capitals forward Brendan Leipsic.

Leipsic found himself at the center of controversy yesterday after some of his private group text messages were leaked online via a friend’s Instagram story. Leipsic, who formerly played for the Los Angeles Kings, Vancouver Canucks, Vegas Golden Knights and Toronto Maple Leafs, and some of his friends make some awful statements about women and single out former Canucks teammate Tanner Pearson’s wife calling her fat and “actually disgusting.” The group also went after Connor McDavid's girlfriend Lauren Kyle and several other NHL wives and girlfriends.

To be honest... it's gross. These guys aren't 15 year old boys talking bullshit in a locker room. These are grown men who are saying awful things about the women in their lives.

The Capitals issued a statement saying that Leipsic would be dealt with internally, which prompted Leipsic himself to issue an apology:

“Yesterday my friend’s Instagram account was hacked and an individual circulated images that are representative of private conversations I was a part of,” Leipsic said. “I fully recognize how inappropriate and offensive these comments are and sincerely apologize to everyone for my actions. I am committed to learning from this and becoming a better person by taking time to determine how to move forward in an accountable, meaningful way. I am truly sorry.”

This entire fiasco prompted the NHL to release a statement themselves and, if you read between the words, it seems like some punishment might be coming Leipsic's way.

Check it out:

“The National Hockey League strongly condemns the misogynistic and reprehensible remarks made by players Brendan Leipsic and Jack Rodewald in a private group chat that has surfaced on social media. There is no place in our League for such statements, attitudes and behavior, no matter the forum. We will address this inexcusable conduct with the clubs and players involved.”

The best punishment though is playing out in real time. Several of the women who were targeted by Leipsic and his buddies are posting on social media about yesterday's controversy and dragging these guys through the mud all the way.

Check it out:

Now... if you'd like to to browse through the screenshots of the leaked conversation, you can do so below. But first just consider that Leipsic likely never intended for this conversation to go public. This is a private conversation between friends who may or may not ever say these outside of private conversation. Having said that… you gotta do better than this, guys.

Check it out: