Oct 12, 2026 · 2h 41m
Kevin Hayes confronts hockey’s emotional exit
Spittin' Chiclets Episode 675: Featuring Kevin Hayes
Hayes’s retirement story gives the episode its center, while the Chicklets Cup and NHL debates widen the conversation into questions of competition, identity, and community.
- 1Kevin Hayes describes how injuries, reduced playing time, and family priorities reshaped his decision to retire.
- 2The Chicklets Cup recap mixes tournament controversy and dangerous play with its community impact and blind hockey exhibition.
- 3NHL discussions span goaltending injuries, trade speculation, coaching pressure, suspensions, and the demands facing players and officials.
Don't miss
Kevin Hayes recounts the panic, air-raid concerns, and emotional strain of trying to play in the KHL during wartime.
The brief
The seventh Chicklets Cup supplies the opening tension: the Big Deal Selects again miss the final amid disputed officiating, dangerous play, and questions about Terry Ryan’s role.
The tournament is also presented as a community event, with international attendees, children watching from the boards, sponsors, and a blind hockey exhibition alongside the rough ball-hockey action.
NHL talk moves from Igor Shesterkin’s injury and Montreal’s interest in Dylan Larkin to Philadelphia’s poor start, Edmonton’s momentum, and the scrutiny surrounding suspensions and Brady Tkachuk.
Kevin Hayes describes the emotional cost of leaving hockey, from injuries and being scratched in Pittsburgh to the failed attempt to continue playing in Russia during wartime.
Hayes’s stories about Sidney Crosby, mentorship, rookie culture, coaching, and teammates show how a player’s value can persist after his role on the ice disappears.
Books & mentions
Move Over Breast Cancer merchandise
The episode’s closing promotion connects the show’s community focus with support for the foundation.