There are times in our lives when a recharge is desperately needed whether or not you know it. Humans must realign themselves of the reality of their life and revisit what was staked as important and valued. This month’s hockey wife did this for me. I did not ask her to do this, nor do I believe that this was her intention. She simply told me her story. I was one of those who was unaware that I even needed this friendly reminder. Just by being her true authentic self, she helped me reset and revisit my intention of my daily existence as a wife, mother, and friend. Wendy Tippett. Thank you.
Hockey wife veteran Wendy Tippett is a woman of faith, tenacity, authenticity, and joy. She both exudes it and creates it in the world she keeps. Married to former NHLer and now head coach of the Arizona Coyotes Dave Tippett, she has seen her share of what the hockey world brings and shines light upon a world that many misunderstand. Wendy understands what it is like to have a dream and although she cradles and chases her own dreams and aspirations, she equally scaffolds the dreams of her husband and children as well. They’ve got it figured out. And oh, for goodness sake, she’s doing it right! This is the life of a hockey wife, Wendy Tippett.
 |
| “Meant to be” is right |
“You’re meant to be together!” a friend suggested to Wendy in Grand Forks, ND. Freshman, Wendy thought nothing of it as her studies were of the utmost importance in her first year at the University of North Dakota. Their paths didn’t cross for some time. It wasn’t until there was a party to celebrate the school’s National Hockey championship that her arm was twisted to attend the party, in hopes that this would be the prime time to talk to her ‘meant to be’ person. And what better time to talk to a guy after coming off a national championship. Insert Dave Tippett. “He made me laugh, and that low voice…well I loved it!” As the love story goes, they were inseparable. Knowing this was the real deal, Dave and Wendy were engaged a year later and soon married in Bismarck, North Dakota just following the 1984 Olympics. Shortly after, a young Dave Tippett was signed to the Whalers. In a blink of an eye, a hockey wife was born.
Growing up in both Minnesota and North Dakota, being a hockey fan was a given regardless if you liked it or not. Hockey was a persistent passive presence in her life. Wendy didn’t know much of the game but it was instilled in her throughout her adolescence and young adulthood. Wendy tells me that she doesn’t remember ever watching a game but she knew that she was a North Stars fan. “I was a hockey cheerleader in high school but that was just to skate for free! I think God was preparing me for a life of hockey”. She surprises herself with all of the hockey knowledge she knows now. Hockey certainly becomes a live and breathe type of lifestyle…even halloween has seen the influence of the game.
Family is everything to the Tippett’s. Wendy and Dave are proud parents of their two daughters, Nicole and Natalie. Wendy is a woman who is extremely proud of her family and was nothing short of gushing as she shared about her girls and their husbands {Tim and Hoyt}. You wouldn’t believe it by looking at her but Wendy is a grandma! Her daughter Nicole and hubby Tim have the sweetest boys. The Tippets have the most genuine connection with their family you would never guess that they are all spread across the U.S.. Following in her mom’s footsteps, Nicole is a real estate mogul in Washington and Natalie is rocking it out in L.A. as a costume designer. “Our girls are very hard workers and have had jobs since they were 15. We believe in work ethic, but probably should have taught them to play a little more.”
 |
| Family Matters |
Wendy, too is a mogul of her own. She has made a name for herself in the real estate world selling, staging, and finding luxury homes in the Scottsdale, AZ area for Silverleaf Real Estate. Her success has sky-rocketed in her 11 year venture. As a hockey wife, whether you are a players wife or coaches wife, having a career is often a variable that must exist with fluidity. Meaning…it’s got to be transferable or you have to be down with starting over because a trade or termination can happen at any time and you can be uprooted. Her love of real estate grew from early in Dave’s playing career when “hockey wasn’t that lucrative”, Wendy recalls. Since players have the summer’s off the newlyweds decided that they “would flip a house every summer before there was such a thing as “flipping.” But it wasn’t until after years of flipping homes that Wendy realized that she was in love with the process and wanted to take it a step further. When the NHL initiated the lock out, Dave and Wendy were in Dallas at the time and they decided that, “Dave could be Mr. Mom for a bit while I went back to school.”
 |
| Supporting each others dreams |
I believe that women need to have their own sense of purpose and drive. When I asked Wendy how important that was for her as a hockey wife, in certainty she confesses, “I see so many talented, amazing women lose themselves in their husband’s career and that leads to sadness and broken marriages! I always said that no one is going to put my name on the Cup no matter how supportive I was! Dave always said ‘whatever makes you happy-do it!'” Wendy always worked part-time wherever they were just to keep her foot in the door. She did this in conjunction with staying at home with her kids. She has been a waitress, sold gym memberships, a personal trainer…you name it! She loves her career and does admit that it’s not easy to start over. But her success can be attributed to that drive she has, being knowledgeable and confident and having a good client base. Part of her “good client base” is that of professional athletes. It takes a certain type of realtor to understand those special needs of athletes , “I understand their needs in a way that other realtors can’t. I understand the need for quick resale and how important it is to give good advice on that.” Most of the time it is the players agent or wife who are viewing the homes alone. “I know where their teammates live and that living close to them will be helpful. I know the stress that comes with sports and how to manage that time to minimize stress.” Wendy is the perfect person for the job. She has the perfect combination of confidence and empathy in her cause. She’s got the “IT” factor.
Aside from selling homes of champagne wishes and caviar dreams Wendy also has a special place in her heart for her faith. Every week she dedicates herself to a group of teenage girls at her church. She is recharged when she is putting her goodness back into the world. Over her 34 years as a hockey wife it has always been important to her to give back and to be active for charities and special interest groups. Her heart has a gravitational pull towards charities supporting children’s cancer. Wendy’s recipe to make it all work? Perseverance, controlling your emotions, and a good attitude.
Hockey Talk
Of course trades are difficult and stressful, but they can also be refreshing and give players, coaches, and families a sense of renewal. Over the duration of writing about hockey wives and getting to know each of them on a personal level, each have their own way of dealing with relocation. Some go with their husbands, some stay in their “homes”, some commute on a regular basis. There are a series of factors that contribute to that decision. Wendy and Dave have been on 8 professional teams : Hartford, Washington, Pittsburg, Philadelphia, Houston, L.A., Dallas, and Arizona. This dynamic duo recognizes that it can be difficult on families and opted to stay to move with each other on every adventure. Wendy’s thoughts on dividing coordinates? “Never-nor would I suggest it if at all possible. I have seen a lot of broken relationships result from separation. Even when I was 8 months pregnant and we got traded, I packed up my three year old and delivered in the new city 3 weeks later.” Family first. Even though she doesn’t hesitate to pack up and go with her hubby, Wendy admits that she misses the friends and places she grows attached to, there is a little wanderluster in her that gets excitable about exploring new places and meeting new faces.
When Wendy’s hubby decided to hang up his skates for his bench boss status, it came as a surprise. “Well it was a shock…because he went to training camp and came home and said “My body is done. They offered me a chance to be an assistant coach” And so the next day he was a coach.” I wonder about this transitional point in a hockey players career, but I also wondered how it changed the dynamic of the wife as well. When my husband was a player, I was friends with all the other players girlfriends and it was basically like all my friends were gift wrapped and handed to me. But when he changed in the ranks, I found that this wasn’t the case. It doesn’t quite work that way in junior hockey. But I think that anyone or any organization that is graced by Wendy Tippett on their ‘roster’ is a lucky one. She doesn’t have it in her to create a divide. Kodette LaBarbera’s husband Jason LaBarbera played for Dave Tippett for 4 year in Arizona and had this to say about Wendy and her coaches wife ways:
“Wendy is hands down the best coaches wife I have ever met! We were in Phoenix with
them for 4 years andI am so happy I got the opportunity to know her. Wendy goes above
and beyond to make sure girls and families are ok-from making you dinner, to picking
up your kids from school, to helping out with charity work. You know you can always
count on her. She is a little fire cracker who will always make me laugh. She is loyal and
I am beyond proud to call her my friend.”
Wendy’s inclusive personality was also witnessed nationwide as she, along with Kodette, graced the screen on the W Network’s HOCKEY WIVES, a documentary style show following NHL wives in their daily grind as wives, mothers, and charitable beings. Wendy was approached by Brijet Whitney, wife of Ray Whitney, who was also on the show and she joined as a late addition. Because Wendy has such a busy schedule she wasn’t on the show too often but enough to making a last impression. Hubby Tippett wasn’t entirely comfortable with the idea of his wife glorifying hockey wife life, but stuck to his motto of ‘do what makes you happy’. “Dave is always fine with anything I want to do – he realized that his job takes opportunities from me, so if they can ever help me…go for it!” Wendy feels that the show did a good job on portraying the wives fairly and would welcome the chance to be on the show again if they filmed in Arizona. In the meantime, homegirl is too busy killing it in the real estate world to commit fully to the show.
 |
| The Ladies of HOCKEY WIVES {Photo provided by Kodette Labarbera} |
Balance is key. Combining Wendy’s hectic schedule with that of an NHL calendar takes some juggling, accommodating, and patience to make it all come together successfully. So Wendy, inquiring minds want-need to know…what is the secret? “I think communication is everything. We talk-text-email so many times a day. I think being very respectful of how hard they work and {being very aware of} the ups and downs of coaching is important. We are their biggest cheerleaders and in my eyes he can do no wrong…Let the world tear him down but I will always build him up.”
 |
| “Communication, support, and love” Three words to describe making it work |
 |
| Long time friend, supporter, and fellow HW Tanya Lamb |
A hockey family is one that is unlike any other. There is an understanding, a sisterhood, and empathetic ear that knows how you are feeling no matter what position you are in the standings, what climate you live in, or what emblem resides on your chest. For most good-hearted people there is no divide between coaches wives and players wives. There is no talk of what the player did or who the coach short shifted. It’s the amalgamation of common ground. United by the game, but connected by the spirit. In Wendy’s case, her transition from players wife to coaches wife should prove that there is no need for a divide. “It was different because Dave was coaching his teammates and their wives were already my friends.” There was no grey area of whether or not to become friends. Proof that segregation of ‘rank’ need not to exist.
Gratitude fills my heart as Wendy didn’t hesitate to share her story, her truth, her reality with me and allowed me to share it with the world. She understands that passion in your life gives you value and purpose and she helped this hockey wife {moi} exercise her passion to write and reach out to make a new friend in this hockey wife life. This is The Life of a Hockey Wife and Wendy Tippett, you are DOING IT RIGHT.
Photo Permissions given by Wendy Tippett.