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Last month, hockey fans were left scratching their heads after prominent Canadian network Sportsnet announced it had parted ways with longtime hockey insider Jeff Marek without providing a satisfactory explanation, and a new report detailing his unexpected departure paints the NHL in a very poor light.
If you’re a fan of hockey, you’re likely familiar with Jeff Marek, a veteran reporter who started covering the Toronto Maple Leafs in the early 2000s and eventually landed a prominent role with CBC and Hockey Nigth in Canada before linking up with Sportsnet in 2011.
Marek has been a staple of the broadcaster’s NHL coverage while co-hosting the wildly popular 32 Thoughts podcast alongside Elliotte Friedman, but last week, things took an unexpected turn when the hockey world learned his time with Sportsnet had come to an abrupt end after 13 years under fairly mysterious circumstances (the statement he issued after the news broke wasn’t exactly overflowing with insight).
Initial reports suggested Marek’s departure had something to do with what transpired when the 2024 NHL Draft was held at The Sphere in Las Vegas, and based on a new one from The Athletic, it would appear that is indeed the case—and the league should be embarrassed by what went down if the details are true.
Before we dive into things, there’s some context that probably needs to be discussed. Sportsnet (which is under the massive Rogers Communications umbrella) is currently in the midst of a 12-year, $5.2 billion broadcasting deal with the NHL, so it has plenty of incentive to do what it can to keep Gary Bettman and Co. as happy as possible.
Based on what sources who spoke with The Athletic had to say about the situation, Marek’s role as a reporter at the NHL Draft meant he was privy to the inside information Sportsnet received before picks were initially announced (networks covering the event tend to learn who’s being selected a couple of minutes before the rest of us).
During the draft, former NHL scout Mark Seidel correctly tweeted out a number of first-round picks before the teams responsible for making them took to the stage, which apparently aroused the suspicions of NHL employees who believed he was tipped off by Marek (who he’s frequently worked with in the past).
It’s believed the league subsequently approached Sportsnet to complain about Marek distributing “proprietary information with someone outside the company” before the network apparently determined the infraction was serious enough to justify his dismissal.
As is the case with the NFL and NBA, the NHL has done what it can to prevent reporters associated with its official partners from “tipping” or “spoiling” picks before they’re announced, but at the end of the day, it’s a pretty minor issue in the grand scheme of things.
Unethical insiders could theoretically use the information at their disposal to profit by betting on the NHL Draft.
However, as The Athletic notes, Nevada gambling rules require sportsbooks to suspend player-related wagers 24 hours before the event kicks off (meaning Seidel couldn’t have cashed in) and Marek has been fairly candid about his disdain for the sports betting that’s increasingly permeated coverage of every major sport in recent years (it adds “no gambling impropriety was discovered”).
As a result, it would appear Marek lost his job with Sportsnet because the NHL bullied the network into firing him over leaks I think most reasonable people would agree are best described as “wildly inconsequential,” and if that’s indeed what happened, it’s a pretty pathetic move.