Spittin’ Chiclets Episode 617: Featuring Jack O’Callahan

Date: February 3, 2026
Hosts: Ryan Whitney, Paul “Biz Nasty” Bissonnette, Rear Admiral (RA), Mike Grinnell
Guest: Jack O’Callahan (1980 US Olympic “Miracle on Ice” defenseman)

Episode Overview

This episode runs the gamut from wild NHL weekend recaps and college hockey adventures to an in-depth feature with Jack O’Callahan, defenseman from the legendary 1980 U.S. Olympic “Miracle on Ice” team. True to Spittin’ Chiclets form, the crew mixes irreverent banter and deep hockey analysis, touching on viral moments (goalie fights!), controversial refereeing, fan invasions, and hockey history. The heart of this episode is the conversation with O’Callahan, loaded with behind-the-scenes memories from Lake Placid and the stories that made the “Miracle” possible.

Main Topics & Key Segments

1. Weekend Recaps: NHL Stadium Series & Penn State (00:40-13:00)

Penn State Weekend

• Pink Whitney-fueled college hockey rager at Penn State’s Champs bar.
• Penn State's embrace of the Spittin’ Chiclets crew with an overflowing crowd.
• Meet-and-greet and fan stories.

NHL Stadium Series: Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Boston Bruins

• Biz admits missing the game for a “two-lady Thai massage,” leading to the crew's usual ribbing.
• Stadium walk-ins get top marks:
  • Tampa players dressed as NFL Buccaneers, Bruins as actual 1776 Patriots (05:16).
  • Coach Jon Cooper’s pirate/Tony Montana-inspired suit a focal point.
• Best quote:
  • “The Boston guys coming in like they just signed the Declaration of Independence. That was all-time.” – Biz Nasty (02:38)
• Refereeing mess:
  • Dubbed a “ref show” by Whitney, with extended Bruins penalty killing and a notoriously blown non-call (09:25).
  • Memorable quote:
    • “If you’ve handed the other team eight minutes of five-on-threes, and then you call that rinky dink shit in OT... what was going on?” – Biz Nasty (10:13)
• Goalie fight highlight:
  • Vasilevskiy vs. Swayman was viral, labeled as fun but safe, and the need for “two league-mandated goalie fights a year” was jokingly suggested (16:37).
• Entertainment value hailed, with viral memes and costumed broadcasters (PK and Steve Levy as pirates).

2. Around the NHL: Trends, Trades, and Fan Antics (13:00-48:50)

Ongoing Team Issues & Trades

• Bruins penalized more than any other team; PK struggles, need for discipline addressed (19:51).
• Nashville GM Barry Trotz shock resignation analyzed—timing near trade deadline raises questions (29:11).
• Leafs and Oilers ribbing: comparative struggles, and the historical trade record between Toronto & Boston dissected (34:35-35:34).

Viral Moments & Fan Controversy

• Buffalo’s home crowd outnumbered by Montreal Canadiens fans:
  • “I thought it was the Bell Centre.” – Ryan Whitney (44:06)
  • Darlene’s public comment encourages Sabres fans not to let that happen again.
• Creative solutions to crowd control, parallels to ticketing restrictions cited.

3. Kucherov’s Dominance & D-man Norris Talk (38:29-40:44)

• Nikita Kucherov praised as potentially “underrated” despite MVP and Art Ross hardware.
• Debate: Is he top-3 Russian all-time?
  • “At this point, I would put him above Fedorov.” – Biz Nasty (21:15)
• Kucherov vs. Datsyuk, vs. Ovechkin, points-per-game stats cited (24:53-25:02).
• Norris Trophy race for best defenseman described as tighter and more interesting than the Hart Trophy (MVP) chase this season.

4. College Outdoor Game & Spittin’ Chiclets on Site (48:51-56:54)

• Crew’s first-hand experiences at the Penn State–Michigan State outdoor game in Beaver Stadium.
• Hilarious behind-the-scenes from Grinnell (“G”) sent to cover the raucous student section—turns out to be the wrong section, full of foreign exchange students, during a Penn State goal (49:52).
• “I thought the crowd was going nuts for me. Turns out McKenna scored mid-hit!” – Grinnell (51:32)
• Stories from on-campus, game day hospitality, and the growth of Penn State’s hockey program.
• Sidenote: Merls “hired” as Penn State Football’s international scout.
• Listener Q&A: If given play-calling duties for the Nittany Lions, what would they choose? “Playoff tight end, every time.” – Ryan Whitney (56:23).

5. Interview: Jack O’Callahan—Miracle on Ice & Beyond (83:28-151:00)

Highlights & Stories

• Reminisces about growing up in Charlestown, Boston—“Thank God we had hockey, or else we’d have ended up in Walpole [State Prison]!” (85:54)
• Legendary bar tales from tending at The Dugout Café (93:52–94:38), including run-ins with sports and local figures—and some with questionable backgrounds ("That's Albert DeSalvo, the Boston Strangler!" [86:01]).
• On choosing BU over Harvard: “Park [Jack Parker] was one of us. He’d watch your back if things got hairy.” (91:11)
• Early USA team experiences:
  • 1979 Moscow World Cup trip—smuggling, KGB, and hockey for rubles (99:26–103:07)
  • Trading a Coho stick for a Russian soldier’s belt (103:07)
• Herb Brooks as coach:
  • “Herbie was a thinker, a psychology major. He wanted us hating him, so we didn’t hate each other.”
  • “He called me a team-first guy, positive and competitive. That’s what he wanted.”
• “Herbies” Skate:
  • Legendary bag skate after tie vs. Norway—O’Callahan got to watch from the stands, lights out, ‘45 minutes on the line’ (109:03–110:57).
• Locker room management strategies by Herb Brooks—creating crucible moments after big losses, and even after the Russian victory.
• Details of the Olympic tournament, often misunderstood:
  • "Everyone thinks the Russia win was the gold medal, but we had to beat Finland the next day. That last 20 minutes vs. Finland was the best hockey we played in nine months." (113:42)
• Quotes on “Miracle” legacy:
  • “Standing on the shoulders of giants. 1960 set the table for us. We didn’t know what it meant until we made it back to Boston and the White House.” (136:34)
• The real Herb Brooks speech:
  • “The message was: You’ve earned the right to be here. Americans laid down hockey lives so you could get this shot, and you’ve taken it to another level.” (136:07–140:27)
• Post-hockey career:
  • Ran a commodities trading business in Chicago for decades; multiple ex-athletes entered the Chicago trading pits post-hockey.

Notable Quotes — Who Said What & When

On the Wildness of the Stadium Series

• “The Boston guys coming in like they just signed the Declaration of Independence. That was all-time.”
  — Biz Nasty, 02:38

On the Penalty Parade in Bruins/Bolts

• “If you’ve handed the other team eight minutes of five-on-threes, and then you call that rinky dink shit in OT…”
  — Biz Nasty, 10:13

On Jack O’Callahan’s Childhood

• “Thank God we had hockey—otherwise we’d all have ended up in Walpole prison.”
  — Jack O’Callahan, 85:54

On Herb Brooks’s Genius

• “He was a great coach, man. He just knew it—the natural progression of beating the Russians and all this...he really did center us...so we could focus on Finland.”
  — Jack O’Callahan, 112:16

After the Miracle—the Realization:

• “When we got to D.C., buses everywhere, people waving flags...that’s when it started to hit me. It was pretty wild.”
  — Jack O’Callahan, 134:49

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Penn State Weekend Recap, Stadium Series – 00:40–13:00
• Tampa vs. Boston Outdoor Game, Goalie Fights, Ref Drama – 01:36–19:51
• Goalie Fights, League Attitude, Kucherov Debate – 15:49–25:50
• NHL Trade/GM News (Predators, Leafs, Oilers) – 29:11–36:11
• Buffalo Home Crowd Overtaken by Habs Fans – 43:14–48:51
• Penn State Outdoor Game Gags, Student Section Story – 48:51–56:54
• Jack O’Callahan Interview – Lake Placid, Miracle Details
  • Intro & Childhood in Charlestown – 83:28–89:36
  • BU, Bartending, Legendary Bar Tales – 89:44–96:49
  • Olympic Team, Brooks, Moscow Trip, Herb Brooks – 99:26–104:46
  • Herb Brooks Psychology, “Herbies” Skate – 108:18–110:57
  • Full 1980 Olympic Run, Myths vs. Reality – 121:50–125:37
  • Victory Aftermath & White House – 133:09–135:50
  • The Real Herb Brooks Speech – 136:07–140:29
  • Watching the “Miracle” Film as a Team – 138:51–140:27
  • Post-Hockey Career, Trading in Chicago – 143:34–146:33

Tone and Style Notes

The hosts keep their signature blend of irreverent joke-slinging, sharp hockey insight, and beer-league reminiscence. Interview segments shift to honest reflection and intimate sports history.

For New Listeners

This episode delivers everything Spittin’ Chiclets fans love: wild game recaps, league drama, beer-soaked road stories, and a living legend guest for an unfiltered, deeply human look at how history gets made—on and off the ice.

This summary skips commercial reads and non-content segments, focusing on the real meat of Episode 617.