Spittin’ Chiclets Episode 588 Summary

Date: October 17, 2025
Hosts: Ryan Whitney, Paul Bissonnette (“Biz”), Rear Admiral, Producer Mike Grinnell
Special Guests: Macklin Celebrini, Will Smith, Bob Stauffer, Liam Blutman
Main Theme: Early 2025-26 NHL season storylines, team and player analysis (notably Detroit, Montreal, Chicago, Edmonton, Vegas, and San Jose), plus deep-dive guest interviews and irreverent, inside-the-room hockey banter.

Episode Overview

This marathon episode drops deep into the start of the NHL season, dissecting surprising storylines, bickering over hot teams and new contracts, and forecasting everything from playoff hopes to World Cup of Hockey selection drama. With multiple guests—from top prospects to team insiders to diehard fans—the crew mixes irreverent jokes with sharp hockey analysis, including heated debates on Detroit’s rise, Montreal’s big moves, the evolution of Connor Bedard, Edmonton’s goaltending hopes, and much more.

Key Segments & Takeaways

1. Season Kickoff & Detroit Red Wings Drama

Timestamps: 02:19–13:37

• Detroit's resurgence: Detroit’s surprise dominance sparks a passionate debate.
• Biz’s Detroit beef: Biz grapples with relentless Wings fans who (rightly) demand credit:

  “I got these Red Wings fans saying all you do is talk about the Panthers. I’m like, we literally opened the show with all Red Wings.” (06:40, Biz)

• Praise for coach Todd McLellan’s no-patience approach and Lucas Raymond’s return from injury.
• Cultural shift:

  “These are different Wings fans. They’ve had enough of nine straight years with no playoffs.” (08:26, Whitney)

2. Brad Marchand Interview Recap & Player Longevity

Timestamps: 10:50–13:37

• Memorable Marchand banter:

  “If your ears were as big as your nose, you might have heard what I said.” (11:02, Marchand/Biz)

• Speculation on Marchand’s media future and Hall of Fame career.
• Discussion of oldest NHL forwards, from Jagr to Howe.

3. Montreal Canadiens: Contract Masterclass & Youth Movement

Timestamps: 20:13–26:44

• Lane Hudson’s 8-year, sub-$9M AAV deal stuns the panel, praised as a win-win:

  “It’s an absolute no-brainer. You’re the hometown hero now … such positive vibes in Montreal.” (22:05, Biz)

• Canadiens’ smart asset management and growing prospect pool highlighted.
• Lane Hudson’s future with Team USA also discussed.

4. Blackhawks & Bedard’s Breakout

Timestamps: 32:00–41:13

• Deep-dive on Connor Bedard’s sophomore leap:

  “If Connor Bedard looks like a different player ... in 5 games, he’s 8th in puck battle wins (was 189th all last year), 13th in stick checks (190th last year).” (36:06, Biz quoting Mike Kelly)

• Emphasis on his physical/emotional maturity—“He’s playing his ass off. Culture is changing.” (Entire segment)
• Forecast: Blackhawks still fringe playoff hopefuls but much more competitive.

5. Rangers' Artemi Panarin Contract Controversy

Timestamps: 41:13–46:50

• Panarin’s unwillingness (so far) to take a “home discount” like Kopitar stirs debate:

  “If he’s your number-one superstar, I don’t think that’s what you need to win a cup.” (43:32, Panel)

• Stalemate could lead to big midseason trade if New York doesn’t pull out of their scoring slump.

6. Bob Stauffer: The State of the Oilers and Alberta Hockey

Timestamps: 55:23–84:52

• Bob Stauffer checks in from the Oilers—the consummate insider calms fan fears on Stuart Skinner and lauds Edmonton’s blue line:

  “You have a GM who believed in you to trade a first for you … this guy can be pretty good, play 21-22 minutes a night.” (63:04, Stauffer on Jake Walman)

• Alberta angle: Flames face “hard decisions” and might have to blow it up.

7. Vegas Golden Knights Banter (with Mer & Blutman)

Timestamps: 92:36–110:29

• Vegas fan Blutman brings insidery perspective:

  “It hurt winning a cup and knowing Fleury, who was the backbone, didn’t get to cherish it. But this is a business. Every fan wishes their team operated like Vegas: cutthroat.” (98:21, Blutman)

• Knights’ strengths/depth, but worries about slow starts, blue line injuries, and goalie competition.
• Stats nugget: “They’ve given up the first goal in 14 consecutive games.” (103:53, Blutman)

8. Western Conference Snapshots: Kings, Ducks, Kraken, Canucks

Timestamps: 112:27–139:39

• LA Kings: Deemed “fraud squad” again by Merle, though Biz defends their competitive window.
• Anaheim Ducks: Panel bullish on their watchability and upside, especially Leo Carlson, Kreider, Gauthier.
• Seattle Kraken: Uninspiring, vanilla, stuck in the “mushy middle.” Likely to sell off at deadline.
• Vancouver Canucks: Concerns about Pedersen’s start and team scoring; Demko is their season’s lifeline.

9. San Jose Sharks Young Guns: Macklin Celebrini & Will Smith Interview

Timestamps: 164:59–199:35

• Both players living with Sharks legends (Marleau, Thornton), benefiting from Hall-of-Fame mentorship.
• Revealed: Multi-team NHL fantasy football league (Sharks, Rangers, Edmonton, LA, Vegas, etc.)—Sharks currently lead.
• Locker room pranks story: hotel room toilet-revenge saga (191:24).
• Dumb & Dumber Halloween costumes, golf ambitions, and stories of pranks gone wrong (e.g., the infamous Tory Mitchell “cult” prank).
• High praise for Mario Ferraro’s leadership/camaraderie.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On dealing with Detroit’s rabid fans:
  “It’s not a zit. It’s blood pressure from these goddamn Red Wings fans.” (05:40, Biz)

• Marchand v. Biz
  “I feel like I had him on the ropes … then he hit me with the uppercut in the 12th round and I was KO’d … That was just classic Brad Marchand.” (11:02–11:07, Biz)

• On Montreal's contract wizardry:
  “That’s 8 years, 70.8 [million] … what, 200 grand less than $9 million!” (24:30, Panel)

• On Bedard’s growth:
  “He looked like a completely different player … body language, not being engaged … Just from simply watching him play.” (34:23–36:06, Biz)

• On Panarin’s value:
  “He’s a piece, not the piece. He’s not the McKinnon. He’s not the Crosby.” (43:09, Biz)

• Bob Stauffer on Edmonton’s D:
  “The Athletic referred to the Oilers’ top four as the best in the NHL … offense will get driven from the back end.” (61:12–62:01, Stauffer)

• Vegas, summarized by Blutman:
  “Every single fan wishes their team approached things like Vegas’ front office: win every year, no hard feelings.” (98:21)

• Sharks rookie hijinx:
  “We kept getting to hotels, and there’d be like, poops in our toilet.” (190:44, Celebrini)

  “Do you want to know your room number?” (192:02, Celebrini, on hotel pranks)

Additional Inside Hockey Talk

• Goalie controversies abound: Ongoing debates in Edmonton, Vegas, and Ottawa around which tenders can actually “win you a Cup.”
• NHL youth wave: Anaheim and Montreal lauded for prospect pools and the fearlessness to play (and lock up) young talent.
• Analytic skepticism: Panel references “under the hood” numbers as nice but relies on eye test (especially Biz’s takes).
• Off-the-cuff: Recurring bits about Biz’s “eyeball zit,” fantasy football, classic pranks, Chiclets U college hockey segments, and sandbagger golf matches.

Conclusion

This episode is packed with inside jokes, deep hockey detail, and real talk with top prospects—larded with classic Chiclets irreverence. The show flows from hard-hitting NHL storylines (Red Wings, Blackhawks, Habs, Rangers, Oilers, Knights) to playful asides and wild anecdotes, capped by a rare candid look inside a rebuilding NHL locker room with two of its most-hyped rookies.

Whether you’re a casual fan or a hardcore puckhead, this episode delivers the Chiclets blend of expert insight and wild locker-room fun.