Spittin’ Chiclets Episode 582: Featuring Tyson Barrie

Date: September 16, 2025
Host(s): Ryan Whitney, Paul Bissonnette, Rear Admiral, Mike Grinnell
Special Guest: Tyson Barrie

Episode Overview

This episode delivers the signature Spittin’ Chiclets blend of NHL talk, stories from hockey lives past and present, irreverent humor, and a heartfelt career-spanning interview with recently retired defenseman Tyson Barrie. The crew also deep-dives into Paul Bissonnette's transformative hiking adventure for Barstool's new series "Peaking," the evolving landscape of NHL contracts and player movement, off-season NHL storylines, pop culture tangents, and a powerful discussion about online discourse and recent events.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Biz’s “Peaking” Hiking Trip – A Life-Changing Adventure

[02:33 - 36:16]

• Biz recounts his week-long BC hiking/filming journey with Wanton Don and crew for Season One of "Peaking," highlighting:
  • Scenic hikes (Stanley Park, Grouse Grind, Whistler, Russet Lake, Tofino)
  • Meeting inspirational characters, including amputees from the Adaptive Training Foundation
  • Emotional stories of resilience, especially from Tyler Turner (Paralympian, double amputee) and former NFLer David Vobora, founder of the Adaptive Training Foundation
  • The unexpected, organic way the adventure took shape, culminating in helping a group reach Moat Lake and reflecting on perspective, personal growth, and gratitude.
  • Biz describes his emotion at the farewell, the impact the journey had on his worldview, and his plans to support the Adaptive Training Foundation with future collaborations and events.
• Notable quote:

  “It was a life-changing trip…There’s so many laughs, so many twists…At the end, I was sobbing—I’m an emotional guy. But getting a little perspective, that’s what hiking and this adventure gave me.” – Paul Bissonnette [31:26]

2. NHL Contract Dominoes & Superstar Movement

[38:24 - 54:11]

• Lively debate about the current NHL contract landscape:
  • Pressure on stars like McDavid, Kaprizov, Quinn Hughes (leaving?), Crosby “trade rumors”
  • Traditional notions of loyalty vs. modern mobility (“NBA-ization” of the league)
  • Players waiting for the cap to rise or for other dominoes to fall (public perception, max contracts)
  • Biz’s wild theories, including McDavid to the Leafs—jokingly proclaimed as “last time I mention it” [52:43]
• Notable quote:

  “The theme right now: all the stars are unsigned…It’s kind of NBA-style, and I absolutely love it. The big dogs are in the news.” – Ryan Whitney [39:52]

3. Chiclets Ball Hockey & Brand Banter

[54:20 - 58:41]

• Updates and playful trash talk regarding the upcoming Chiclets ball hockey tournament:
  • Teams’ focus, surface upgrades (“MS.3” tile courts), player commitments, and banter about team management philosophies.
  • “Big Deal Selects” internal developments and commitment to winning (“all business”).
• Notable exchange:

  “You want to fly in your wife? We’re here to win, not vacation. Different levels.” – Biz vs. Keith and Wit [54:54]

4. Transition: Pop Culture and Sports Miscellany

[58:41 - 68:03]

• Quick-hitting topics:
  • Anthony Rizzo’s stadium-spanning beer buy and almost catching a home run
  • Pro athletes’ lifestyle stories (yacht mishaps, baseball vs. hockey culture)
  • Fleury’s PTO with the Penguins to play/wear the jersey one last time (how more teams should do it)
  • Montreal’s rookie camp buzz (Demidov’s performance)
  • Ken Rosenthal’s viral on-field mishap and universally relatable sporting gaffes

5. NFL/NCAA Quick Fire

[68:21 - 165:02]

• Brief reflections on the NFL’s early season, Georgia/Tennessee college kick drama, and what makes big-game moments so memorable.
• “Turf toe” seriousness (Joe Burrow’s injury)—the panel agrees it’s time to rebrand the malady, it sounds too soft!

Tyson Barrie: Retirement Interview

[72:25 - 134:18]

Career Retrospective and Emotional Farewells

• Tyson’s locker room life – Growing up around the game; reflections on following his dad's NHL footsteps, getting emotional with his family about ending his career
• Transition out of playing: Thankful, not sad; grateful for the journey, especially teammates and mentors
  • On being labeled ‘undersized’ and how he adapted:

    “I thought I was a well-rounded guy, but quickly found out I was maybe more one-dimensional. I don’t think I was as bad defensively as people say…” – Tyson Barrie [79:04]

• Trade memories – Hardest was leaving Colorado, but thankful for relationships in each new city (Marner, McDavid, Draisaitl, O’Reilly, etc.)
• Locker room and team-building stories:
  • Organizing year-end trips, bachelor parties, golfing get-togethers (Marner’s and Draisaitl’s weddings)
  • The infamous “chardonnay and tartare before surprise elimination game” tale:

    “I was scratched a month and a half. Went for a chardonnay, pint, tartare…and then I’m told I’m playing with four minutes to warmups. I had an apple, and we got the win!” – Tyson Barrie [102:16]

• On running the room: DJing, road trip vibes, keeping teams loose (but not always being the party animal!)
• Business ventures: Barrie describes the birth of his “Chili Ones” beer brand (with 18 NHLers as partners), its fun/humble roots, and its aim for charitable impact.
• Future plans: Taste of media, business, and “crazy hockey dad” in his future (“I can’t sit still too long”)
• Favorite stories:
  • Enzo’s (Tyler Ennis’s) legendary wedding party performance and aftermath:

    “He was the show. Next morning: demons, shadows…Didn’t make the tee time.” – Tyson Barrie [127:06]

• Fun banter: Drop pass apples, best city for team dinners (“Vancouver, biased but true”), sandbagger challenges with the Chiclets crew, golf handicaps of NHL stars, hotel preferences, and Bissonnette’s infamous giant truck.

Memorable Quotes

• “I rarely... organize the party, but I always loved that part of it, keeping it light and fun. Maybe learned that from OBs (O’Brien) early on.”
• “Not playing sucks, but being surrounded by great people made it better. 30 healthy scratches is a lot, but what can you do?”

Late-Episode Deep Dives

1. Hughes Brothers: Will They Play Together?

[145:09 - 154:39]

• Group speculates on rumors of all three Hughes brothers joining the Rangers vs. staying in New Jersey.
• Quinn’s contract status and trade speculation; potential family influence and league “star power gravity” toward big markets.
• Broader musing on how cool it would be to see more brothers play together: “Package deal to the Panthers—get all the Hughes and the Tkachuk brothers!” [153:15]

2. Changing Culture of Online Discourse

[166:22 - 177:13]

• A serious, unscripted conversation on the dangers of political violence, toxic online culture, and loss of empathy.
• All hosts express concern for humanity, highlight mental health, and encourage younger listeners to avoid letting online drama dominate their worldview.
• Biz: “Regardless of your politics, if you’re online celebrating that, you’re a clown. That’s just evil.” [167:43]
• Whit: “Back before social media, you’d never even know things about [someone] you ‘hate’ online now. That’s the worst part of it.” [174:21]
• Final thoughts: Choose real-world relationships, empathy, and living in the moment over social media bickering.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Paul Bissonnette on “Peaking”:

  “Just gives you a reset…For 30-35 hours, I have no service. It almost forces you to live in the present…” [35:13]

• Keith Yandle:

  “Potatoes, the heaviest vegetable.” [06:19]

• Tyson Barrie on Enzo’s Wedding Antics:

  “We drag him up, he misses the tee time, so I FaceTime him—‘you’re dead to me’…I ended up going to St. Tropez anyways.” [129:18]

• Ryan Whitney on the future:

  “When I get stressed out, I focus on living in the moment…That’s literally what I do.” [173:28]

Important Timestamps

• 02:33 – 36:16: Biz’s in-depth “Peaking” hiking recap and perspective
• 38:24 – 54:11: NHL contract/trade rumors (McDavid, Kaprizov, Crosby, Quinn Hughes, Marner)
• 54:20 – 58:41: Chiclets Ball Hockey tournament updates and wit/biz banter
• 72:25 – 134:18: Main Tyson Barrie interview (career, stories, transition, Chili Ones beer)
• 145:09 – 154:39: Hughes brothers speculation
• 166:22 – 177:13: Culture, online violence, mental health, and living “in the moment”

Final Thoughts

This marathon episode epitomizes the best of Spittin’ Chiclets: wild road stories, raw honesty about the hockey life and its end, broadening perspectives, and the chemistry of a crew willing to get deep as quickly as they'll get silly. The Tyson Barrie interview is both heartfelt and hilarious, and the crew’s support for each other resonates.

Listeners leave with a deeper appreciation for the human side of pro hockey, the intensity of friendships forged in the game, and a final encouragement: cherish the present, real connections, and the adventure—on the mountain, in the locker room, or wherever life leads next.