Thanks to the W Network, we're about to get a look at the lives of the women behind the men we see on the ice. Hockey Wives kicks off on March 18, and the cast will include Emilie Blum, a former military intelligence specialist, communications expert Jenny Scrivens, and fashion designer Tiffany Parros.

The Hockey News

Puck bunny watchers are about to skate into overtime. Or at the very least convince their significant others to get into the game one night per week. W Network confirmed on Monday afternoon that its latest reality offering, Hockey Wives, is lighting up the screens come March with a whole slew of new wives who have been added into the mix.

Joining previously announced wives Nicole Brown (married to Kings’ captain Dustin Brown) and actress Noureen DeWulf (who calls Canucks goalie Ryan Miller her hubby) are eight other girlfriends or wives of current and retired players from across the NHL. And no, Elisha Cuthbert isn’t one of them.

The series is the brainchild of former CBC exec Julie Bristow’s Bristow Global Media Inc., which also helmed last January’s mini docu-reality offering, NHL Revealed: A Season Like No Other—a companion series to help build anticipation and showcase the flurry of outdoor games across the league. It was during production on that series that the company started thinking about showcasing the leading ladies of the game.

When Hockey Wives was originally announced last September, the goal was to showcase the wives and girlfriends of up-and-coming players. Since then, either through lack of participation or an attempt at age diversification, the roster has expanded to include the wives of recently retired players Ray Whitney (Brijet Whitney) and George Parros (Tiffany Parros). For good measure, they’ve also added Wendy Tippett, wife of Coyotes head coach Dave Tippett.

“We were always looking at an array of cast members and potential wives," said John MacDonald, vice-president of Television and Head of Corus Women & Family at Corus Entertainment. "We didn't want to limit the compelling stories by only focusing on one period of their husband's careers. We are very excited to be working with the amazing cast and their array of personal and touching stories.”

“There’s so many benefits to being married to a hockey player,” added a pregnant DeWulf in the promo video, below. “They have good stamina…”

Hockey Wives could best be described as the love child of any Real Housewives franchise and every Canadian beer commercial ever invented. W Network seems invested in the series, giving it the same Wednesday, 10 p.m. ET time slot that recently launched incoming series Say Yes to the Dress Canada. The difference here is that men will probably tune into this series, too.

Over the course of eight episodes viewers will go behind-the-scenes to photo shoots, rides in fancy cars and into the stands where these wives prove they’re the “real captains,” ones who eat, sleep and breathe hockey. At the same time, viewers will experience the emotional challenges that also come with being married to a professional player: the constant fear of injury, the many miles between games and the inability to plan any real family time.

The series kicks off on Wednesday, March 18 at 10 p.m. ET on W Network. The starting roster:

· Montreal “it girl” Maripier Morin, girlfriend of Montreal Canadiens winger Brandon Prust



· Fashion designer Tiffany Parros, married to recently retired George Parros



· Model and new mom Martine Forget, engaged to Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Jonathan Bernier



· Hockey wives’ connector Brijet Whitney, married to recently retired Ray Whitney



· Social activist Kodette LaBarbera, wife of Anaheim Ducks goalie Jason LaBarbera



· Former Intelligence Specialist for the U.S. Military Emilie Blum, wife of Minnesota/Iowa Wild defenseman Jonathon Blum



· Athlete and Communications expert Jenny Scrivens, wife of Edmonton Oilers goalie Ben Scrivens



· Arizona real estate maven Wendy Tippett, wife of Arizona Coyotes Head Coach Dave Tippett

Amber Dowling is a freelance lifestyle/entertainment writer, yoga and wine enthusiast and all-around player of sports. She currently serves as the vice-president of the Television Critics Association and has appeared on numerous TV and radio shows across North America. An advocate for Canadian Television and a lover of the medium in general, Amber founded TheTVJunkies.com as a spot for fellow enthusiasts to connect and collaborate. She previously spent almost eight years as the EIC for TV Guide Canada.