Coyotes' Tocchet implicated in sports gambling ring

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Headache in a Suitcase

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With the other morally corrupt bootlicking rubes.
EWING, N.J. -- Phoenix Coyotes assistant coach Rick Tocchet financed a nationwide sports gambling ring in which about a dozen current NHL players placed bets, authorities said Tuesday.

Tocchet, a former NHL star, was served with a criminal complaint Monday and was expected to travel from his Arizona home to answer charges of promoting gambling, money laundering and conspiracy, state police Col. Rick Fuentes said.

Fuentes said an investigation into the New Jersey-based ring discovered the processing of more than 1,000 wagers, exceeding $1.7 million, on professional and college sports, mostly football and baseball. He declined to identify the NHL players who made wagers.

Authorities said Tocchet and state police Trooper James J. Harney were partners in the operation, with the ex-NHL forward providing the financing.

A message left with the Coyotes' media office in Arizona was not immediately returned. The Coyotes were home Tuesday night against Chicago.

Tocchet, one of three associate coaches on the Coyotes' staff, took over the head coaching duties for 10 days in December while Wayne Gretzky was away to be with his dying mother.

The 41-year-old Tocchet played 18 years with six teams, including three seasons with the Coyotes from 1997-2000. He is one of only two players in NHL history to collect 400 goals and 2,000 penalty minutes during his career.

The 40-year-old Harney was arrested Monday. The eight-year police veteran was charged in an arrest warrant with official misconduct, promoting gambling, money laundering and conspiracy. Another man accused of taking bets is James A. Ulmer, 40, who was charged with promoting gambling, money laundering and conspiracy.

Both men were free on bail. They are expected to be arraigned within two weeks.
 
Just what hockey needs! :rolleyes:

Bettman summoned Tocchet to NYC - heads are going to roll!

By the way, this is actually headline news in Canada - before anything else...not a huge surprise I`m sure...
 
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Hewson said:
A newspaper report from Philly says that Wayne Gretzky placed bets through his wife.

If true, Canada may cease to exist.

:lol:

oooh, I think it`s all speculation at this point but that`s interesting. Gretzky did deny knowing anything about this (but of course he will!)
 
Unless they bet on hockey, the gambling itself isn't a big deal to me. Jordan bets all sorts of money playing golf and offices everywhere have super bowl pools and ncaa pools.
 
and one of the few sports conspiracy theories i actually believe is the one where david stern and michael jordan came to an agreement where he would "retire" for a year rather than risk suspension and embarassment that would result from a hard look by the nba at his gambling practices.

but even this is different, more serious... you can't have an assistant coach being a league wide bookie. it's just too much of a potential compromise of his position.

everyone knew pete rose was a big gambler for years... it never became a problem until he started gambling on baseball. the fear is, and it's not an unrealistic fear, that professional athletes who become heavily involved in gambling put them self at risk for a potentialy compromising situation... i.e. the player ends up in the hole for a few million, and a bookmaker says "no problem... don't cover the spread and we're even"
 
Hewson said:
A newspaper report from Philly says that Wayne Gretzky placed bets through his wife.

If true, Canada may cease to exist.

Canada will still exist, but Quebec will say that this incident by an Anglophone Canadian has brought shame to the country and will secede. For real this time.
 
Active professional athetes or coaches gambling on other professional sports is different than an average schmo doing it. I agree with Headache.

They have influence and who knows if players on other pro teams aren't gambling on hockey. Like mentioned above, they may be addicted to gambling, and be put in a tight spot. This could lead to points shaving or whatever on the part of an athlete. Remember years ago, when there were reports of the Russian mafia's involvement with some Russian players.

Regardless, it is a bad situation for the NHL and they better address it properly or they will continue to fall in stature as a professional sports league.
 
phanan said:


I didn't realize the NHL could fall any further...

Sadly, it can now.

Isn't it still ahead of monster trucks and dog shows but behind figure skating and pro bowling.:wink:
 
Phoenix Coyotes coach Wayne Gretzky knew about a gambling ring involving his wife and assistant coach Rick Tocchet, law enforcement sources who cited state wiretaps told the Newark Star-Ledger.

The Star-Ledger reported in Thursday's editions that there is no evidence that Gretzky placed bets, but investigators are looking into whether his wife, Janet Jones, placed them for him.

Gretzky has said that he had no knowledge of the gambling ring.

"The reality is, I'm not involved, I wasn't involved and I'm not going to be involved," Gretzky said Tuesday. "Am I concerned for both of them? Sure, there's concern from me. I'm more worried about them than me."

Law enforcement officials told the New Jersey newspaper that Jones bet $500,000 in recent weeks, including $75,000 in Super Bowl wagers.

Tocchet, Gretzky's friend and assistant with the Coyotes, was granted an indefinite leave of absence Wednesday night by NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, a day after New Jersey police accused him of financing a nationwide gambling operation that took bets from about a half-dozen current players, among other bettors.

Tocchet is expected to be arraigned in the next two weeks, and Gretzky could be subpoenaed to testify before a New Jersey grand jury, the Star-Ledger reported.

Jones hasn't made any public statements, but Gretzky said Tuesday that she would answer questions at some point.

Coyotes vice president of communications Richard Nairn declined to comment to the Star-Ledger about Gretzky's knowledge of the case.

The NHL Players' Association posted a message on a secure Web site Wednesday advising any player who is contacted by law enforcement authorities or the league to contact his lawyer "before talking to anyone," the Toronto Star reported.

Tocchet and his new attorney met with Bettman on Wednesday and officially informed the commissioner of the pending charges Tocchet is facing.

On the advice of attorney Kevin Marino, Tocchet wasn't prepared to respond to specific questions about the allegations, the NHL said in a news release. At the end of the meeting, Tocchet requested the leave of absence.

Bettman agreed to the leave as long as several conditions were met. Tocchet must immediately cease all contact and communication with NHL and team personnel and stay away for the duration of his leave. He will not be allowed to return without Bettman's consent.

The commissioner also reserved the right to change the terms of Tocchet's absence at any time.

"We view the charges against Mr. Tocchet in the most serious terms," Bettman said in a statement. "We have pledged our full cooperation to the New Jersey State Police and the New Jersey Attorney General's Office."

The NHL hired former federal prosecutor Robert J. Cleary, who headed the Unabomber case, to investigate Tocchet.

New Jersey authorities told the NHL on Wednesday that nothing has come to their attention that indicates the gambling activities relate in any way to league games. None of the players were identified in the complaint.

"While there is speculation as to which other NHL personnel may have been involved in this matter, we continue to await guidance in that regard from the New Jersey law enforcement authorities," Bettman said.

State police Col. Rick Fuentes said an investigation into the New Jersey-based ring discovered the processing of more than 1,000 wagers, exceeding $1.7 million over several weeks, on professional and college sports, mostly football and basketball.

Marino called the state's charges against his new client "false and irresponsible."

"Mr. Tocchet is one of the most well-respected men ever to play in the NHL, and he's respected for his integrity, his determination and his strength," the Newark-based lawyer said. "We deeply regret the attorney general's precipitous charges and are appalled at the ensuing media frenzy."

Cleary was the U.S. Attorney in New Jersey from 1999-2002 and in the Southern District of Illinois in 2002. he also was the lead prosecutor from 1996-98 in the case against Unabomber Theodore Kaczynski, who was sentenced to four lifetimes in prison on charges related to three deaths and the maiming of two scientists.

New Jersey State Police Lt. Gerald Lewis said police investigators will interview other hockey players to get a sense of the scope of the gambling ring and to determine whether others should be charged.

Lewis said authorities also were exploring links between the gambling and Philadelphia-area mobsters. He said the investigation so far has turned up only that there might be some links, but authorities are unsure.

He also declined to reveal which players will be interviewed.

Hockey players are prohibited from making NHL wagers, legal or otherwise. There are no rules that forbid them from betting legally on other sports (such as via an established Las Vegas book).
 
They said on the news tonight that not all Canadians are getting worked up about this because sports betting isn't illegal here or online betting or both...or something...I don't know...it's very confusing to me!

In a way I wish Gretzky wasn't going to the Olympics - the scandal will just follow our boys to Italy...
 
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