Summary of Spittin' Chiclets Episode 680: Featuring Devin Cooley

Overview of Spittin' Chiclets Episode 680: Featuring Devin Cooley

Episode 680 mixes the usual Chiclets chaos with a heavy dose of hockey news, Halloween banter, and one of the more unusually thoughtful interviews of the year with Flames goalie Devin Cooley. The crew opens with costume breakdowns and NHL Halloween photos, then dives into the ongoing Dylan Larkin trade drama, the Tony Escargot cannoli mystery, a few hot NHL teams and players, and the viral Internet Invitational golf content. The back half of the show is dominated by Cooley’s wide-ranging conversation about goaltending, mental performance, reading, anxiety, AI, crypto, and why he stays off social media.

Halloween Chaos and NHL Costume Rundown

The episode kicks off with everyone in costume for the Halloween special, including:

• Biz as a judge/pylon-type character
• Whit as a founding father / American historical figure
• Keith as a monkey/gremlin
• G in a judge-esque costume

They also run through a bunch of NHL Halloween costumes from around the league, including:

• Leon Draisaitl and his wife as Harry and Marv from Home Alone
• Connor McDavid as Colonel Sanders
• Tom Wilson as Cast Away with his wife as Wilson the volleyball
• Eric Karlsson in a femme-bot/Austin Powers-type setup
• Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith as “Mav and Goose”
• A few others that ranged from creative to deeply questionable

The crew spends a lot of time riffing on the detail and effort some players put into the costumes.

Dylan Larkin Trade Drama Continues

A major hockey topic is the latest update on Dylan Larkin, who is now not playing for the Red Wings while a trade is discussed.

Main points:

• The crew believes Larkin has had enough of Detroit’s delay on a trade.
• Pat Brisson issued a statement saying Larkin had been professional, but his camp felt they had waited long enough.
• The Red Wings are reportedly considering or fielding options, but no deal is done yet.
• The discussion centers on whether Detroit should hold firm and keep him out, or whether Larkin is right to push for a move.

The hosts debate:

• Whether it’s fair for a player to sit out if a team won’t trade him
• Whether Detroit should simply wait until they get the return they want
• Whether this turns into another “Hellebuyck-style” standoff

The consensus is basically: both sides have a case, but the situation is a mess.

Tony Escargot and the Cannoli Mystery

The segment on Tony Escargot is one of the funniest bits in the episode.

What happened:

• Someone has been sending cannolis to coaches, executives, and even team-related addresses.
• The Flyers reportedly had to get security involved after cannolis were sent to people around the organization.
• The mystery figure has also allegedly sent cannolis to:
  • Rick Tocchet
  • team executives
  • other Flyers-related figures

The crew treats it like a bizarre hockey detective story, joking that:

• The person may be a superfan
• It’s equal parts creepy and hilarious
• The identity still hasn’t been solved

They also joke that the Flyers are basically being stalked by a cannoli-obsessed internet lurker.

NHL Notes, Teams on the Rise, and Players Standing Out

The episode covers several other NHL topics:

Carolina Hurricanes

• The Bruins played Carolina well for much of a recent game, but the Hurricanes still won in their usual relentless fashion.
• The crew praises Carolina’s structure, depth, and ability to keep coming at teams shift after shift.
• They’re viewed as one of the league’s most complete teams and a legit Cup favorite.

Islanders and Matthew Schaefer

• The Islanders get a good amount of praise for their strong play.
• Matthew Schaefer is highlighted for playing massive minutes in overtime and looking like a future star.
• Bo Horvat is singled out for carrying the team offensively.
• Varlamov gets a big shoutout for returning after a long rehab from knee replacements and looking strong in net.

Other quick hits

• Pastrnak is climbing the Bruins all-time goal list.
• The crew briefly praises a few fights and hard-nosed moments around the league.
• There’s also concern about overly aggressive online criticism of prospects like Caden Lindstrom, who is getting treated like a bust before even turning pro.

The Internet Invitational and Golf Chaos

They spend a lot of time on the Internet Invitational, especially after the first episode dropped and pulled huge numbers.

Key takeaways:

• The tournament is a hit, with millions of views.
• Biz’s putt becomes a big moment in the video.
• Kevin Kisner gets praise for being a legend and a great guest.
• Santino gets criticized online by some golf fans, but the crew defends him as someone just trying to be funny and entertaining.
• The hosts note that golf audiences can be surprisingly sensitive and overly serious.

They also joke that some of the participants are basically “Wit on steroids” in golf form, because the skill gap is so obvious.

R.A.’s World: Brewers, the Atlantic Division, and Halloween

R.A. pops in with his usual mix of sports notes and random recommendations.

Brewers run

• He highlights the Milwaukee Brewers and their World Series push.
• He mentions the huge Brewers fan turnout and gives a nod to the atmosphere around the team.
• He praises the organization and the emotional lift from their postseason success.

NHL division stat note

• He points out how stacked the Atlantic Division is compared with the rest of the NHL.
• His broader point: the Atlantic is currently controlling the league’s conversation.

Halloween recommendation

• He recommends the horror classic The Omen as a good seasonal watch.

Devin Cooley Interview: Mental Performance, Reading, and Perspective

The centerpiece of the episode is the long interview with Devin Cooley, and it is unusually deep for a hockey show.

Who Devin Cooley Is

Cooley comes off as:

• highly self-aware
• deeply curious
• obsessive about self-improvement
• committed to understanding the mental side of goaltending

He explains that much of what he says comes from reading, reflection, and a desire to improve his mind, not just his game.

Why His Viral Interview Happened

The conversation starts with his now-viral postgame interview, which he says was just him speaking naturally after a game with an elevated adrenaline level.

He explains:

• he often says things in interviews without realizing how unusual they sound
• he blocks social media on game days
• he limits his time online to protect his mental state

His Mental Routine and Rabbit “Tito”

One of the more memorable parts is his detailed explanation of his pregame and postgame habits:

• He spends time with his rabbit, Tito
• He also has a dog
• He uses the pets as part of a calming routine
• He reads daily and uses that time to settle his nervous system

He says:

• reading helps him focus and regulate
• the rabbit is part of his emotional reset
• his home routine is intentionally quiet and low stimulation

Flow State, Anxiety, and Goaltending Psychology

Cooley gives a very thoughtful breakdown of how he approaches performance:

• He believes in flow state
• He tries to avoid thinking about himself during games
• He focuses on patterns, threats, and immediate reads
• He uses repetition and mental discipline to stay locked in

He also explains:

• he does not fight anxious thoughts
• instead, he acknowledges them and moves through them
• he uses a more stoic, accept-the-worst approach to reduce pressure

He talks about:

• the danger of tying self-worth to results
• the importance of separating identity from performance
• why goalies especially need to be mentally fluid

The Concussion That Changed His Life

A major turning point in his career was a concussion that left him feeling mentally off even after the physical symptoms improved.

He says:

• physically he felt fine
• mentally, he felt like a different person
• his play fell off dramatically
• he realized he needed to understand the brain more deeply

That experience pushed him into:

• neuroscience
• performance psychology
• reading about the brain
• self-education as a daily habit

In his view, the concussion ultimately saved his career by forcing him to rethink everything.

Books and Fields That Influence Him

Cooley says he reads constantly and across many subjects, including:

• performance psychology
• philosophy
• mathematics
• engineering
• quantum physics
• the power grid
• classic literature

A few books he specifically recommends:

• Flow
• The Inner Game of Tennis
• Meditations by Marcus Aurelius

He says the goal is not just hockey improvement, but broader understanding and personal growth.

AI, Travel, Crypto, and Career Backup Plans

The interview also goes into his interests outside hockey:

• He is very interested in AI, but cautiously optimistic about it
• He thinks AI may cause short-term disruption before creating new opportunities
• He worries about people losing purpose if technology handles too much
• He is strongly against most conspiracy theories
• He doesn’t like traveling and prefers staying home
• He is extremely interested in finance, including:
  • stock trading
  • Bitcoin
  • crypto
  • NFTs

He also shares an old project he built that aggregated social-media finance chatter and stock sentiment, which he says helped him make money and even land someone else a job.

Hockey Influences and Favorite Players

Cooley talks about the goaltenders and players he admired:

• Pekka Rinne as a major goalie influence
• Marc-Andre Fleury for his joy and mental approach
• Connor McDavid as the most impossible player to prepare for

He also says he loves his teammates in Calgary and enjoys the personalities around the room.

Notable Quotes / Ideas

A few memorable themes from Cooley:

• “You are in 100% complete control of your reality.”
• He views pressure as something to run toward, not away from.
• He believes self-improvement is a lifelong process.
• He sees hockey as only one part of who he is, not his entire identity.

Closing Thoughts

This episode has everything Chiclets fans expect:

• chaotic banter
• costume bits
• trade rumors
• league-wide hockey talk
• internet drama
• and a surprisingly thoughtful, deeply human interview

The Devin Cooley segment is the standout. He comes off as a goalie who is not only trying to stop pucks, but also trying to understand the mind, the world, and himself at a much deeper level than most athletes do.