Hockey Wives, ep. 8: Time off in Mexico and relationship advice

Just like how NHL players hit the road, so too do hockey wives. While the Toronto Maple Leafs were off playing on the road, some of the significant others took the opportunity to jet off to Mexico, which is where we begin on this week’s episode of Hockey Wives.

Martine Forget, engaged to Jonathan Bernier, Taylor Winnik, married to Daniel Winnik, Keshia Chanté, dating Ray Emery and guest star Sarah, dating former Leafs player Shawn Matthias are in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico lounging on the beach. But wait — are the wives really free of their other halves or is that Bernier walking toward them right now holding a tray of drinks?

“You are literally the Mexican version of her (points to Martine) fiancé,” Chanté says to a man who slightly resembles the Leafs goaltender, mostly because of his slicked back hair. Taylor isn’t buying the comparison either.

“Just because he has slicked back hair doesn’t make him a Mexican Jonathan Bernier. That’s so ridiculous,” she says.

After Mexican Jonathan Bernier departs, the women continue to lie on the beach and Taylor begins discussing her upcoming photo exhibit in Toronto. When Martine asks whether the guys are going, Taylor says yes, before adding, “unless Dan gets traded – then I don’t know what we’re going to do.” Foreshadowing.

Considering her husband was a frequent target of trade rumours in Toronto, it’s understandable that when planning an end of February art show, it would be on Taylor’s mind that Daniel may or may not be there. But knowing that he did, in fact, get traded, it does act as an eerie premonition — and sets up the storyline that is sure to come in an upcoming episode. Actually the entire trip has a Survivor undertone to it since by the end of the year we know only one of these wives will still be on Leafs Island, so to speak.

But aside from talking hockey and trades, there’s not much else in common with a hockey players’ road trip and a hockey wives road trip. For instance, I doubt the guys are repelling down into any caves in a jungle as a bonding exercise or filling a hot tub with bubble bath during their nights in Philadelphia and Boston. But Taylor does make the point that while on road trips teammates can bond. For the wives, getaways act in much the same way.

“The guys have that camaraderie and it’s the same for us,” she said, while posing for goofy pictures with Martine and Sarah during a night out for dinner.

Another reason why getaways are useful for hockey wives? It’s a time when they can rant about their husbands without consequence. Discussing the mental and physical toll hockey takes on their hubbies, the women dish that it’s next to impossible to start — let alone win — an argument.

“There’s never an appropriate time to get in a fight with them,” Taylor says.

“You can’t pick a fight on game day. You literally have to wait for their day off,” Keshia adds.

“They’re always so stressed out, so busy. There’s always something coming that they need to focus on so picking the time to battle is always the hardest,” Taylor continues.

Imagine not being able to bicker with your partner? What a nightmare! (Sidenote: With this in mind, how much do you think hockey couples argue in the off-season?)

Elsewhere in Vancouver, Maripier Morin and her fiancé Brandon Prust are also tourists, enjoying a romantic day trip to the Capilano Suspension Bridge. It’s been a month since MP has seen her husband-to-be and once again, she said, she’s feeling unsure about how to act around him. “There’s a big contradiction when you’re in a long-distance relationship because you get so excited to see the person again, but at the same time you get all nervous and you always have that little fear in the back of your mind, ‘is it going to be the same?’”

At this point in the season, MP has decided not to move to B.C. to be with Brandon, causing tension in the relationship. But don’t fret MP fans, luckily, Patsy, her longtime friend and stylist has created the perfect plan to save the relationship.

While talking in the middle of the suspended bridge 70 metres above the Capilano River (Romantic or terrifying? You decide!), MP tells Brandon the strategy.

“I was talking with Patsy, he said that we should block two weeks a month. It’s important to work on my career but it’s also important to take care of my relationship,” MP tells Brandon. After a long, dramatic pause, he responds, “Patsy’s a very understanding man.”

Indeed. We should all be so lucky to have a Patsy in our lives.

But the real heart-warming moment of the week came courtesy of the LaBarbera clan. After a few unsuccessful attempts in the past to take her autistic son Ryder to a hockey game to watch his dad, Jason, play, Kodette manages to bring Ryder, along with her younger son Easton and babysitter Zeina, to a game.

“If this is Jason’s last year playing hockey, I really want the kids to be around it as much as possible and be proud of their dad," Kodette said as the reason for bringing her two boys to watch the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms game.

With loud music, cheering and clapping, the game atmosphere had the potential to overwhelm Ryder (Kodette brought along his iPad in case he needed to escape for a while.) But not only did he get through the game, he looked like he enjoyed it. “He seems to be pretty comfortable,” Kodette said about her son at the game. After it was over, Ryder, often shy to express emotion, visited his dad in the locker room and gave him a hug so warm it could have melted the ice.

If you’ve followed this series throughout its two season, you’ll know Ryder’s progress has often been a focal point of the show. For the LaBarberas, it’s been a long journey from Ryder’s diagnosis to this point, but Kodette said she’s thrilled with how her son is doing today.

“I think what I’m most thankful for is the progress that Ryder’s made. It’s allowed us to move with Jason and be a family again so definitely proud of him and happy that we could all be together.”

Three Stars of the episode:

Third star: Patsy

Second star: Ryder LaBarbera

First star: Mexican Jonathan Bernier

Best line of the episode: Tiffany Parros and Noureen DeWulf are hanging out in Los Angeles with baby Bodhi Miller.

Tiffany Parros: “I always like fear that my good friends aren’t going to have cute kids cause I can’t lie so for me it’s like a big relief that he’s like the cutest (bleeping) kid,” she said, referring to Bodhi.

Misplay of the episode: Keshia Chanté, Canadian recording artist, doesn’t have much of a sense of adventure. During the trip to the jungle to repel down cenotes — a natural pit caused when rocks collapse and expose groundwater underneath —Keshia psyches herself out, worrying about bats, bugs and fish. “I hate this. Why am I doing this? Is it too late to come back?” she yells as she sinks down into the cavernous structure. Following the panic-riddled repel down, Keshia lasts about five seconds in the water before climbing out and dashing up the stairs back to land.