P.K. Subban just wanted to make a light-hearted joke about the game he had just watched, but instead, he set off a wave of controversy after he fat-shamed a popular artist.
Former NHL defensman P.K. Subban ignited a social media frenzy on Tuesday night after he made comments about Grammy Award winner Lizzo, seemingly directed at her weight.
During ESPN’s broadcast of the Florida Panthers-Toronto Maple Leafs second-round series of the Stanley Cup playoffs, Subban said the Maple Leafs needed to bring their lunch after dropping the first game, 4-2.
“Maybe they need to pack a Lizzo-sized lunch,” Subban remarked. “They weren’t prepared, in my opinion.”
After those distasteful on-air comments Tuesday night following the Florida Panthers’ Game 1 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs, some viewers are expressing displeasure with the retired star.
Social media reaction to the comment was nearly immediate, with some calling for Subban to apologize, while others want him fired.
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This isn’t the first time Subban has found himself in hot water. As several teams and players chose not to participate in Pride Nights during the back half of the NHL season, Subban claimed the burden shouldn’t be on players to use their platform in support of social justice causes.
“We cannot push everyone to be an activist, we need to be very careful,” Subban said at the time. “I feel people pick and choose what they want to talk about and I don’t like it when we put the onus on athletes to be activists.”
Subban joined ESPN’s hockey coverage last fall, signing a three-year deal with the network.
The longtime NHL player played 834 career games, tallying 115 goals and 467 points. He won the Norris Trophy as the league’s top defenseman in 2013.
