"There's so many benefits of being married to a pro hockey player."
That's a phrase delivered by actress Noureen DeWulf, wife of Vancouver Canucks goaltender Ryan Miller, in the promo for W Network's new "reality" series, Hockey Wives. DeWulf and nine other spouses or girlfriends star in the series, which premieres on March 18, 2015.
"I was hesitant at first," DeWulf told the Toronto Sun's Bill Harris recently, "but I feel like we're in this era of over-sharing, and as actors we're encouraged now, by our studio, by the network, they say, 'Don't forget to tweet about the episode, don't forget to Instagram your quotes from set.' That trend of trying to be a private actor has kind of fallen away.
"So I thought, this is a great opportunity for Canada to get to know me, and hopefully people will get to see another side of me and maybe even draw more viewers to me as an actress."
The WAGS (wives and girlfriends) of players George Parros, Dustin Brown, Jonathan Bernier, Ray Whitney, Brandon Prust, Ben Scrivens, Jason LaBarbera, and Jonathon Blum are also included in the show's cast, which collectively says (despite the obvious glamour-seeking, show-off promos) it would like to show how normal their lives can be, too.
"I know personally how lucky I am, but I also want them to see how much we appreciate it," said Tiffany Parros, wife of now-retired enforce George, in the video above. "And how we know that we know we're lucky."
Jason LaBarbera's wife, Kodette, said she hopes the show makes them appear "relatable".
"(I'm) definitely grateful for the opportunities that it's given us," she said. "I use it as a platform for charities all the time."
"I thought it was really important to show that not every hockey player makes millions of dollars," said Blum's wife, Emilie. "There is that kind of fringe player that really struggles and is trying to make it in the NHL.
"We have a lot of uncertainty in our lives. We go back and forth between the minor leagues and the NHL. It's not glamorous; we live out of suitcases. It's not about mansions and millions of dollars, I'm in it for love. It's not just a bunch of girls that spend a lot of money, that we all have our own aspirations and dreams. There is a struggle there."
Of the hockey players featured, Parros and Whitney are the only players who have formally announced their retirements. Parros now works for Sportsnet as a hockey analyst. Whitney, 42, announced his retirement in late January, although clips from the show suggest he hadn't done so during filming.
LaBarbera and Blum are perhaps the only players in the cast who don't earn a salary over one million dollars. LaBarbera currently makes $750,000 a season with the Anaheim Ducks; Blum's NHL salary is $675,000, although he's currently playing in the AHL with the Minnesota Wild's affiliate, the Iowa Wild.
Video/Files: The Canadian Press
