NHL Gambling Scandal - players now implicated. Mob involvement?
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Tocchet faces gambling charges
WebPosted Tue, 07 Feb 2006 13:24:59 EST CBC Sports
Phoenix Coyotes assistant coach Rick Tocchet has been charged with financing a gambling ring in which current NHL players placed bets, police authorities said Tuesday.
The former NHL star was served with a criminal complaint Monday and is expected to travel from his Arizona home in order to answer charges of promoting gambling, money laundering and conspiracy, New Jersey state police Col. Rick Fuentes said.
Fuentes said an investigation into the nationwide sports gambling ring run out of New Jersey unearthed the processing of more than 1,000 bets, in excess of $1.7 million US, on professional and college sports.
Fuentes declined to identify which of the half dozen NHL players made wagers, but did say none bet on hockey.
The gambling ring was tied to organized crime in Philadelphia and southern New Jersey, Fuentes said.
Authorities said the 41-year-old Tocchet and state police Trooper James J. Harney were partners in the gambling ring, but that Tocchet financed the operation.
Harney was arrested Monday and was charged with official misconduct, promoting gambling, money laundering and conspiracy. Another man accused of taking bets, James A. Ulmer, was charged with promoting gambling, money laundering and conspiracy.
Both men were free on bail and are expected to be arraigned within two weeks.
Tocchet took over Phoenix's head coaching duties for 10 days in December 2005 while Wayne Gretzky attended to personal matters following the death of his mother.
Tocchet led the club to two wins in five games in Gretzky's absence.
Best remembered for his days with the Philadelphia Flyers, Tocchet played with six teams over 22 NHL seasons, including three campaigns with the Coyotes from 1997-2000.
Tocchet, from Toronto, was drafted by Philadelphia in the sixth round (125th overall) of the 1983 NHL draft.
Tocchet and former New Jersey Devil Pat Verbeek are the only two players in NHL history to score 400 goals and collect 2,500 penalty minutes.
The Coyotes host the Chicago Blackhawks Tuesday night.
with files from Associated Press
WebPosted Tue, 07 Feb 2006 13:24:59 EST CBC Sports
Phoenix Coyotes assistant coach Rick Tocchet has been charged with financing a gambling ring in which current NHL players placed bets, police authorities said Tuesday.
The former NHL star was served with a criminal complaint Monday and is expected to travel from his Arizona home in order to answer charges of promoting gambling, money laundering and conspiracy, New Jersey state police Col. Rick Fuentes said.
Fuentes said an investigation into the nationwide sports gambling ring run out of New Jersey unearthed the processing of more than 1,000 bets, in excess of $1.7 million US, on professional and college sports.
Fuentes declined to identify which of the half dozen NHL players made wagers, but did say none bet on hockey.
The gambling ring was tied to organized crime in Philadelphia and southern New Jersey, Fuentes said.
Authorities said the 41-year-old Tocchet and state police Trooper James J. Harney were partners in the gambling ring, but that Tocchet financed the operation.
Harney was arrested Monday and was charged with official misconduct, promoting gambling, money laundering and conspiracy. Another man accused of taking bets, James A. Ulmer, was charged with promoting gambling, money laundering and conspiracy.
Both men were free on bail and are expected to be arraigned within two weeks.
Tocchet took over Phoenix's head coaching duties for 10 days in December 2005 while Wayne Gretzky attended to personal matters following the death of his mother.
Tocchet led the club to two wins in five games in Gretzky's absence.
Best remembered for his days with the Philadelphia Flyers, Tocchet played with six teams over 22 NHL seasons, including three campaigns with the Coyotes from 1997-2000.
Tocchet, from Toronto, was drafted by Philadelphia in the sixth round (125th overall) of the 1983 NHL draft.
Tocchet and former New Jersey Devil Pat Verbeek are the only two players in NHL history to score 400 goals and collect 2,500 penalty minutes.
The Coyotes host the Chicago Blackhawks Tuesday night.
with files from Associated Press
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Comments
Forget blocking him; find out where he lives and go punch him in the nuts. --WalterSobchak 9/12/12
Looking for Al Hrabosky and any OPC Dave Campbells (the ESPN guy)
Will be very interesting. This really could turn out to be a scandal of major proportions. The Philly/Jersey "connected" gambling hub is huge - no small players there. I'm from Philly and "know" and understand these connections as well as many or most Philly area people who gamble. Bottom line - Tocchet had to be nuts to get involved in this, in this day & age when things like this windup becoming public - usually just a question of when. Tocchet no doubt in my mind, was most likely gambling a lot with a local bookie, got "owned" by this bookie, and the rest of this happened over a period of time. No telling how big this story could get and what was involved as far as fixed games, etc.
Rick, say it ain't so!
What a shame.
He must have spent too much time at the old practice rink in Voorhees, NJ and the clubs in that area.
This is only going to get uglier.
Forget blocking him; find out where he lives and go punch him in the nuts. --WalterSobchak 9/12/12
Looking for Al Hrabosky and any OPC Dave Campbells (the ESPN guy)
Coyotes' assistant coach served with complaint in gambling bust
Updated at 20:21 on February 7, 2006, EST.
photo
Rick Tocchet, standing at right, is seen behind the Coyotes bench. (CPimages/ AP Photo/Tom Hood)
EWING, N.J. (CP) - Wayne Gretzky's wife and a half-dozen NHL players placed bets - but not on hockey - with a U.S. sports gambling ring financed by Coyotes assistant coach Rick Tocchet, authorities alleged Tuesday.
The New Jersey state police dubbed the investigation Operation Slap Shot. Tocchet is accused of being the financier of a "highly organized betting ring" in the U.S., according to New Jersey state police. A New Jersey state trooper is also accused of being involved in the gambling ring.
Gretzky is in his first season coaching the Coyotes and is a part-owner of the team.
Actress-wife Janet Jones was among those implicated, two law enforcement officials told The Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity because no bettors have been publicly identified.
Asked about his wife's possible involvement: Gretzky laughed.
"Oh really? I don't know. You'd have to ask her that," he told reporters Tuesday in Phoenix.
State police Col. Rick Fuentes did not disclose the bettors' names and said charges against more individuals were possible. He described one of them as a "movie celebrity."
Fuentes said an investigation into the New Jersey-based ring discovered the processing of more than 1,000 wagers over 40 days, exceeding $1.7 million US, on professional and college sports, mostly football and basketball.
In a statement, police called it a "highly organized sport betting system."
"Many of the (betting) ring's clientele included past and present professional athletes and celebrities who are being interviewed as part of the ongoing investigation," New Jersey state police said in a release under the headline: "Operation Slap Shot Uncovers NHL Link."
The gambling ring had a connection with organized crime in Philadelphia and southern New Jersey, Fuentes said.
Betting on sporting events is legal in Nevada, but illegal in other U.S. states.
The developments came at a sensitive time for the NHL, which is trying to win back fans after a season-long lockout and just days before many of its best players will showcase their talent at the Turin Olympics where Gretzky will lead Canada in its defence of gold.
Tocchet 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, Fuentes said.
A criminal complaint informs Tocchet of authorities' intention to formally charge him and the need for him to arrange to travel to New Jersey for formal charging, or face arrest.
Tocchet said he would co-operate with the authorities but refused other comment.
"It's not a hockey-related issue, it's a football thing. And at this time I can't comment any further," Tocchet said after the Coyotes practised Tuesday.
Tocchet acknowledged that a New Jersey state trooper arrested in connection with the gambling ring case is his friend.
Gretzky said Tocchet would be on the bench for Tuesday night's home game against Chicago, and it would be "business as usual."
"Everyone in the world is innocent until proven guilty," Gretzky said. "He's a great guy and a good friend. He's just going through a tough time right now, obviously, and we've got to let it run its course. It's a situation that's obviously a concern for the organization at this point."
"We understand that Mr. Tocchet's conduct in no way involved betting on hockey," NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said in a statement. "And, while betting on football or other sports may be the pervasive issue, it in no way justifies poor judgment or otherwise alleged inappropriate conduct."
Daly said the NHL was conducting its own internal investigation.
The NHL policy on gambling is "no betting on hockey," a league spokesman said.
Authorities allege Tocchet and state police Trooper James Harney were partners in the operation, with the ex-NHL forward providing the financing.
Tocchet, one of three associate coaches on the Coyotes' staff, took over the head coaching duties for 10 days in December while Gretzky was with his dying mother.
Tocchet, 41, played 18 years with six teams, including three seasons with the Coyotes from 1997 to 2000. He is one of only four players in NHL history to collect 400 goals and 2,000 penalty minutes.
Tocchet was a fan favourite during his two stints with the Flyers (1984-92, 2000-02). On Tuesday, Flyers star centre Peter Forsberg described Tocchet as "a good guy, a funny guy."
"I think everybody is surprised," Forsberg said. "It's definitely not good for the sport to hear something like that."
Flyers forward Simon Gagne played briefly with Tocchet in Philadelphia and called him "one of the best guys I knew."
Harney, 40, was arrested Monday and has been suspended from the force. 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 Ulmer, 40, who was charged with promoting gambling, money laundering and conspiracy.
Both men were free after posting 10 per cent of their bail. Harney had $100,000 bail; Ulmer had $50,000 bail. The two men were expected to be arraigned in state Superior Court in Burlington County within two weeks.
Craig Mitnick, a lawyer representing Harney, said his client hadn't decided whether to contest the charges in court.
The police investigation into the ring started in October 2005 after authorities received a tip, Fuentes said.
Starting Monday night, authorities seized property from Harney and Ulmer. State police seized $27,000 in currency, "voluminous" amounts of sports betting information and bank accounts worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, Fuentes said.
A search of Harney's house recovered more than $250,000 worth of Rolex watches and nine plasma-screen televisions, including two from his bathroom.
In 1,144 NHL regular-season games, Tocchet had 440 goals, 512 assists and 2,972 penalty minutes with Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, Boston, Washington and Phoenix. Tocchet won a Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1992 and appeared in the Stanley Cup finals with Philadelphia in 1987. He appeared in four NHL all-star games: 1989, 1990, 1991 and 1993.
The NHL veteran was also hired by the Colorado Avalanche as an assistant coach in 2003.
A native of Toronto, Tocchet was a junior star in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., before being drafted by Philadelphia 125th overall in 1983.
The Canadian Press, 2006
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/08/sports/hockey/08betting.html?ex=1140066000&en=1552d8cbcc3259bb&ei=5070&emc=eta1
February 8, 2006
N.H.L. Assistant Is Cited as Head of Betting Ring
By RICHARD LEZIN JONES
WEST TRENTON, N.J., Feb. 7 — A former National Hockey League player who now coaches alongside Wayne Gretzky faces charges of financing a multimillion-dollar sports gambling ring. The authorities said the ring had links to organized crime and clients that included at least a half-dozen current or ex-players.
The accusations were revealed Tuesday by New Jersey law enforcement officials. They said that Rick Tocchet, who played for 18 seasons in the N.H.L., had organized the ring with the help of a New Jersey state trooper, James J. Harney, who investigators said accepted bets while on patrol.
Mr. Tocchet, 41, is an assistant coach with the Phoenix Coyotes, where he works for Mr. Gretzky, a longtime friend who is the team's head coach and a part owner. Mr. Gretzky, the N.H.L.'s career scoring leader and an icon in the sport, was not linked to the ring.
But the authorities said that a "movie celebrity" had placed wagers with Mr. Tocchet's operation. A lawyer for Mr. Harney, Craig R. Mitnick, said that the celebrity was Janet Jones, the wife of Mr. Gretzky and an actress. Two law enforcement officials told The Associated Press that Ms. Jones was among those implicated.
Investigators did not name the hockey players who were suspected of involvement. They said that they were continuing to interview players and that they had collected no evidence so far that players had wagered on any hockey games or that the outcomes of games had been fixed.
The accusations resulted from a four-month investigation, Operation Slapshot, by the New Jersey State Police. The ring took in more than $1.7 million on 1,000 wagers during a recent 40-day period, said Col. Joseph R. Fuentes, the superintendent of the State Police.
He said that the operation had ties to organized crime figures in Philadelphia and South Jersey and that most of the betting was on football and basketball at the professional and college level.
The investigation comes at a crucial time for the N.H.L., which has embarked on an aggressive public relations campaign after a bitter labor dispute that led to the cancellation of the 2004-5 season. The league's deputy commissioner, Bill Daly, said in statement that even if players did not bet on league games, "it in no way justifies poor judgment or otherwise alleged inappropriate conduct." He added, "We take this issue very seriously and will monitor the proceedings closely."
Speaking to reporters after the Coyotes' practice Tuesday morning in Arizona, Mr. Tocchet confirmed that he had received a criminal summons.
"It's a football-related issue, not hockey-related," he said, according to The East Valley Tribune. He declined to comment further.
Mr. Tocchet 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, Colonel Fuentes said. A criminal complaint informs an individual of the authorities' intention to charge him and the need for him to arrange to travel to appear for formal charges or face arrest.
Officials said that they expected Mr. Tocchet to surrender in the next several days. He could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted.
Mr. Tocchet was not behind the bench for the Coyotes' home game against the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday night. He was flying to New York to meet with N.H.L. Commissioner Gary Bettman, the Coyotes said.
Mr. Gretzky acknowledged that the charges were serious. "It's a situation that, obviously, concerns the organization at this point," he said. "Everyone in the world is innocent until proven guilty."
After Tuesday night's game in Glendale, Ariz., Mr. Gretzky said he would not comment on his wife's purported role.
"Listen, first of all, my wife is my best friend, so my love for her is deeper than anything," he said. "The reality is, I'm not involved. I wasn't involved. I'm not going to be involved."
Colonel Fuentes said that players who had placed bets wagered almost exclusively on football and basketball. One investigator left open the possibility that players had bet on hockey, which would violate N.H.L. policy.
"We're looking at professional athletes in the National Hockey League, and of course there are other bettors, but you can understand I can't release their identities at this time," Colonel Fuentes said, adding that more charges were possible.
He did not rule out the possibility that investigators might learn that the outcomes of games had been fixed.
"We haven't seen that in our investigation to date," Colonel Fuentes said. "Whether that would come to light in any future investigation remains to be seen. We can simply connect them from the Philly mob to this book-making enterprise."
The State Police opened its investigation in October after receiving a tip that the trooper, Mr. Harney, was suspected of involvement in a gambling operation. Mr. Harney, 40, has been a trooper for eight years. He was arrested late Monday and charged with official misconduct, promoting gambling, money laundering and conspiracy. Officers who searched Mr. Harney's home in Marlton, N.J., said they found $27,000 in cash, Rolex watches worth $250,000 and nine plasma television sets, including two in a bathroom.
Mr. Harney, who has an annual salary of $89,000, has been suspended without pay. He was released on $100,000 bail and could face 10 to 20 years in prison if convicted of money laundering and another 10 years if convicted of official misconduct.
Mr. Mitnick, the lawyer for Mr. Harney, said his client was "shell-shocked." He added: "His record has been impeccable, as a human being and as a trooper. It's too premature to say where this will go."
Investigators said they had enlisted another state trooper to place a bet with Mr. Harney. Over the course of several months, they said, they pieced together what they believed to be a large gambling network headed by Mr. Tocchet and Mr. Harney.
"In his role in this gambling enterprise, Tocchet received illegal sports wagers from bettors and forwarded winnings and losses to Harney from Arizona to New Jersey," Colonel Fuentes said.
Officials said that Mr. Tocchet and Mr. Harney met about eight years ago, when Mr. Tocchet played for the Philadelphia Flyers and Mr. Harney worked as a bartender.
Mr. Tocchet played in the N.H.L. with Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, Boston, Washington, Phoenix. He returned to Philadelphia, where he spent his final three seasons before retiring in the 2001-2 season.
Mr. Tocchet and Mr. Gretzky were teammates with the Los Angeles Kings from 1994 to 1996. It is widely believed that Mr. Tocchet is being groomed to be Mr. Gretzky's coaching successor, when Mr. Gretzky decides to step down. When Mr. Gretzky briefly left the Coyotes in late December to be with his ailing mother, Phyllis, who died of cancer on Dec. 19, Mr. Tocchet served as the Coyotes' head coach.
Scott Gomez, a center for the Devils, praised Mr. Tocchet as an individual and professional. "He's a great guy," Mr. Gomez said. "He's as good as they come for the game. He's one of those old-school guys who makes things better for the young guys."
The police also announced the arrest of James A. Ulmer, who is 40 and lives in Swedesboro, N.J. They accused Mr. Ulmer of being a low-level member of the operation.
Zulima V. Farber, the state's attorney general, attended a news conference to announce the investigation Tuesday.
"We will not stand for official corruption, no matter where it's found," she said. "Even among our own."
Gambling scandals have periodically intersected with professional sports, perhaps most notably when eight players on the Chicago White Sox were accused of throwing the 1919 World Series against Cincinnati. The National Football League, the National Basketball Association and the National Collegiate Athletic Association have all confronted the issue as well.
Reporting for this article was contributed by Dave Caldwell from East Rutherford, N.J., Jason Diamos, and Paul Giblin from Glendale, Ariz.
Law enforcement officials told the New Jersey newspaper that Jones bet $500,000 in recent weeks, including $75,000 in Super Bowl wagers.
the ugliness continues...
Forget blocking him; find out where he lives and go punch him in the nuts. --WalterSobchak 9/12/12
Looking for Al Hrabosky and any OPC Dave Campbells (the ESPN guy)
B’s go silent: Green reportedly part of gambling scandal
By Steve Conroy
Thursday, February 9, 2006 - Updated: 07:13 AM EST
PITTSBURGH — The growing tentacles of the NHL gambling scandal reached out and grabbed the Bruins yesterday.
The Newark Star-Ledger reported that, according to sources, Bruins forward Travis Green was one of over a dozen NHL players implicated in placing bets with an illegal gambling ring allegedly headed by Phoenix Coyotes assistant coach Rick Tocchet.
Tocchet is facing charges, along with a New Jersey state trooper and an alleged bookie.
With the investigation ongoing, no players have been publicly named by law enforcement officials.
The Star-Ledger story also named Los Angeles Kings and Marshfield native Jeremy Roenick as being involved. As of yet, there have been no allegations that current players bet on hockey games, the activity reportedly centered on football and basketball games.
Green skated in the morning practice and scored the Bruins’ first goal last night in the 3-1 win over the Penguins. After the morning skate, he refused to comment.
“The only thing that I’m going to say is that I really don’t have a comment on the situation,” he said.
After the game, he was asked about the predicament his former Phoenix teammate Tocchet was in.
“I don’t have a lot to say about it. He’s a friend of mine and I feel for him, but other than that, I don’t have any comment on the situation,” he said.
An unabashed poker enthusiast, Green won $34,990 in a World Series of Poker no-limit hold ’em tournament last June, finishing 12th out of more than 2,000 players. He qualified for the Las Vegas event by winning $45,000 in an online tournament.
A popular member of the Bruins, Green was picked up in a trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets for a 2004 draft pick on Oct. 3, 2003. After the league’s lockout ended last summer, the B’s re-signed Green to a one-year contract. He has eight goals and nine assists in 56 games this year.
Asked how disturbing it was that Green’s name came up, B’s coach Mike Sullivan said, “Obviously, the whole scenario is of concern. We’ll just have to let it run its course and see where it goes.”
The league does not specifically prohibit players from gambling, except on hockey, but it does have a policy against league and team personnel from engaging in illegal activity.
Bruins general manager Mike O’Connell did not want to comment, saying only, “We’ll just have to let the investigation proceed and see where it goes.”
Bruin players were similarly tight-lipped.
“We just open up the papers and turn to ESPN like anybody else, and I can’t really comment other than that because we don’t know what’s going on,” said veteran forward Tom Fitzgerald.
Added goalie Tim Thomas, “I have no reaction to it because it’s none of my business.”
Glen Murray was asked if he thought the game, trying to rebound from the longest labor stoppage in North American sports history, would be significantly hurt.
“I really don’t,” said Murray. “We’ve got to hear all the facts first before (making judgment), but I don’t think so.”
Posted on Wed, Feb. 08, 2006
Mob's role in gambling ring remains unclear
BY GEORGE ANASTASIA AND JENNIFER MOROZ
Knight Ridder Newspapers
PHILADELPHIA - Did the mob have a piece of the action?
That question swirls around the New Jersey investigation into former Flyers star Rick Tocchet's alleged million-dollar bookmaking operation.
With Tocchet, now an assistant coach with the Phoenix Coyotes, expected in New Jersey this month for arraignment, state investigators offered few new details about the high-profile case Wednesday.
Rumors of mob connections have fanned the flames - already a full-scale conflagration in Canada - of a story that has more questions than answers.
"It's as if someone burned a flag on the lawn of the White House," one Canadian media type said of the frenzy north of the border over the possibility that the National Hockey League is somehow "mobbed up."
In Philadelphia, however, rumors of wiseguys mingling with hockey stars are nothing new.
During Tocchet's time with the Flyers in the late 1980s, his name was linked to South Philadelphia mobster Joseph "Skinny Joey" Merlino in FBI reports.
And in the mid-1990s, Flyers captain Eric Lindros' name was intertwined with Merlino's in the same kind of media frenzy surrounding the current case.
In neither instance were there charges of criminality.
This time Tocchet, 41, finds himself the focus of a concerted law enforcement investigation.
A New Jersey State Police spokesman said Wednesday that known mob figures had been in contact with James Harney, the trooper charged with running the sports betting ring allegedly financed by Tocchet.
Another law enforcement investigator familiar with the probe said reputed Philadelphia mob underboss Anthony Staino was involved.
But the mob's role in the operation - was it extorting tribute payments, had it partnered with Tocchet and Harney to cover some of their bets, or were some of its members merely gambling? - remained unclear.
"During the undercover operation, we observed certain individuals were interacting with Harney," Capt. Al Della Fave of the New Jersey State Police said. "Those individuals ... hold positions in the mob. What we need to flesh out now is what role they played in the bookmaking scheme. Was it just that they were bettors? Or were they something more?"
Tocchet, who was expected to meet Wednesday night in New York with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, has declined to comment about the investigation other than to point out that it did not involve hockey.
His New Jersey lawyer, Kevin Marino, said he will meet with state law enforcement officials Thursday without Tocchet.
Marino said Tocchet would fight the charges. He also said that the allegations his client had been running a gambling operation somehow tied to the mob were "categorically false and irresponsible," and that he was "appalled at the ensuing media frenzy."
Unlike the NFL, the NHL does not ban players from associating with gamblers or betting on team sports - as long as the sport is not hockey.
State investigators said Tuesday that the bookmaking operation had taken bets on professional and college football and basketball. During one 40-day period, they said, more than 1,000 bets worth about $1.7 million were recorded.
Tocchet, Harney and James Ulmer, a Gloucester County, N.J., resident accused of helping the pair take bets, were charged in what authorities said was a gambling and money-laundering operation with ties to organized crime.
Authorities said the ring had been in operation for about five years. They said that the investigation was continuing and that more charges could result.
Harney, an eight-year state police veteran, was a bartender at Legends in the South Philadelphia Holiday Inn when he first met Tocchet, investigators said. The bar, a few blocks from the city's sports complex, has been popular with athletes and wiseguys over the years.
Merlino, who hung out in Legends before he was jailed in 1999, apparently met Tocchet in the late 1980s, according to information provided to the FBI.
Tocchet and at least one other member of the Flyers socialized with Merlino in several popular bars and nightclubs around the city, including the Saloon and the Monte Carlo Room, according to information supplied to the FBI in 1990 by Richard Barone, a former Merlino associate who testified against Merlino in a federal armored truck heist case.
Barone, during debriefing sessions with the FBI, said Merlino had bet heavily on hockey games, often using information about injuries and players' status that he had obtained from Tocchet.
Whether Tocchet was aware of what Merlino was doing or was duped could not be determined from Barone's statements.
After Tocchet first left the Flyers in 1992, Merlino continued to move up the organized crime ladder in the city. By 1996, he was the reputed underboss of the crime family and a celebrity in his own right.
About that time, rumors, fueled in no small part by a local sports-talk radio station, hinted at a relationship between Merlino and Lindros. The two were said to be "hanging out" together in popular night spots.
Merlino, never shy when it came to the media, said the rumors were without foundation. He claimed to have met Lindros two or three times, but denied he and the Flyers star were buddies. He said any insinuation that his ties to Lindros benefited the mob's gambling operations was ludicrous.
Merlino said he had been betting on the Flyers to win and had lost a ton of cash during the team's failed playoff run.
The alleged Merlino hockey connections appear to predate the current investigation, which began last year when state investigators received a tip that one of their own - Harney - was running a bookmaking operation.
An investigation that included phone taps and an operative posing as a gambler soon led the state police to Tocchet, reputedly a financier of the gambling ring.
Della Fave said Wednesday that investigators were interviewing the bettors who placed the heaviest wagers. He said the operation routinely had processed bets of $10,000 or more.
Those being interviewed, authorities said, included some celebrities and at least half a dozen current and former NHL players. Among those expected to be questioned are former Flyer Jeremy Roenick, who now plays for the Los Angeles Kings, and actress Janet Jones, wife of Coyotes coach and former NHL superstar Wayne Gretzky.
"The interviews are going very well," Della Fave said.
He said bettors who had read or heard about the charges against Tocchet and Harney had called authorities themselves.
"There are a lot of people who utilized this service," he said. "This is going to be going on for some time."
Knight Ridder Newspapers correspondent Marc Narducci contributed to this report.
Forget blocking him; find out where he lives and go punch him in the nuts. --WalterSobchak 9/12/12
Looking for Al Hrabosky and any OPC Dave Campbells (the ESPN guy)
USOC worried about gambling scandal
Officials keeping eye on widening probe with Turin Olympics set to begin
NBCSports.com news services
Updated: 2:53 p.m. ET Feb. 9, 2006
The United States Olympic Committee is keeping a close eye on the widening scandal involving National Hockey League Hall of Famer and Phoenix Coyotes head coach Wayne Gretzky, his wife, assistant coach and several league players, the Agence France Presse reported Thursday.
The USOC is worried that the scandal could embroil the upcoming Turin Olympics in controversy, the AFP also reported.
"We're carefully monitoring the situation. We will have a discussion with USA Hockey and they'll have discussions with the NHL," said Jim Scherr, the USOC's chief executive officer. "Obviously we're concerned and monitoring what is happening. We're not investigating."
According to the Newark Star-Ledger on Thursday, Gretzky was caught by state wiretaps talking about the multimillion-dollar gambling ring allegedly helped run by his friend and Coyotes assistant Rick Tocchet.
Gretzky, the NHL’s all-time scoring leader and the Coyotes’ coach, denied any knowledge of the ring on Tuesday.
But law enforcement sources told the Star-Ledger that the Hall of Famer spoke about the ring, and that investigators are looking into whether he placed any wagers through his wife, actress Janet Jones.
According to the newspaper, Jones waged $500,000 on sporting events during the past six weeks, including $75,000 on last week’s Super Bowl. Authorities are considering whether to issue a subpoena ordering Gretzky to testify before a state grand jury, sources told the paper.
The New Jersey State Police’s organized crime bureau began an investigation in October called “Operation Slap Shot,” which uncovered information that Trooper James J. Harney, an eight-year veteran, was a partner in a bookmaking ring that in a 40-day period processed more than 1,000 wagers exceeding $1.7 million on professional and collegiate sporting events.
Tocchet was identified as Harney’s alleged partner and financier, and was charged with promoting gambling, money laundering and conspiracy. On Wednesday, he requested and received a leave of absence from his coaching duties with the Coyotes after meeting with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman.
The former All-Star player who became Gretzky’s top assistant on the Coyotes’ coaching staff was given an indefinite leave of absence Wednesday night by commissioner Gary Bettman. Tocchet’s departure came a day after he was accused of financing a nationwide gambling operation that took bets from about a half-dozen current players.
Gretzky, the NHL's all-time scoring leader and a player on Canada's 1998 Olympic team, is executive director of the Canadian team that will try to defend its gold medal in Turin.
"I don't think we're concerned it will overshadow things," Scherr said. "We're always concerned things will distract from our athletes' performances. These aren't things that happened when they were members of the US delegation."
© 2006 NBC Sports.com
Gambling, sports dangerous mix
Friday, February 10, 2006
We were somewhat surprised when the Penguins embraced the concept of casino gambling in Pittsburgh. While professional baseball and the NFL go to great lengths distancing themselves and their employees from gambling, here were the Penguins betting that owning a slots license would get them that new arena they want.
Why, we wondered, would a professional hockey team want such a cozy relationship with legalized gambling -- a relationship the Steelers and Pirates would reject at any and all opportunities?
The obvious answer, of course, is greed.
The Penguins want a new arena and seem willing to do anything -- apparently with anybody -- to get it.
But that was before Monday, when authorities busted an alleged gambling ring that supposedly involved Rick Tocchet, Wayne Gretzky's close friend and top assistant coach with the Phoenix Coyotes.
New Jersey State Police Col. Rick Fuentes said an investigation into the ring, which had a connection with organized crime in Philadelphia and southern New Jersey, discovered it processed more than 1,000 wagers, exceeding $1.7 million, on professional and college sports, mostly football and basketball.
Among those who allegedly placed bets with the ring were several NHL players and Gretzy's wife, actress Janet Jones.
All involved say none of the bets included hockey games, but that disclaimer doesn't make this particular puck any easier to swallow.
While Tocchet, Jones and others implicated in the ring deserve to be considered innocent unless and until they are proven guilty of violating any laws, the folks in charge of the National Hockey League don't need to wait to start divorcing their sport from gambling.
That means, among other things, the Penguins should be told as soon as possible to forget about owning a slots license if they want to remain affiliated with the NHL.
The last thing needed by a league trying to win back fans after a season-long lockout is any possible suspicion that organized gambling is one of its partners or holds sway over its players or coaches.
Feb 9, 2006 10:20 pm US/Eastern
Recchi, LeClair Deny Involvement In Gambling Ring
Andy Sheehan
Reporting
PITTSBURGH Rick Tocchet's tough, gritty brand of hockey helped the Penguins win a Stanley Cup in the early 1990s, but it's Tocchet's off-ice activities that could land him in jail.
New Jersey State Police say they have evidence that Tocchet ran an illegal sport betting ring that took over 1,000 bets totaling $1.7 million.
“It's not hockey related,” Tocchet said. “It's a football thing and at this time, I can't comment any further.”
A Philadelphia television station has retracted a report that current Penguins Mark Recchi and John LeClair, who have business ventures with Tocchet, will also be implicated.
“Mark Recchi and John LeClair categorically deny that any wrongdoing and are outraged that they're names have been associated with the operation slap shot investigation,” said Bob Delgreco, Recchi and LeClair’s attorney.
The question now is what, if any, impact will the scandal have on the Penguins gaming partnership with Isle of Capri?
The casino company has promised to build a new arena for the Penguins if they get a slots license in Pittsburgh and in a statement, Penguins president Ken Sawyer says this investigation will have no bearing on that.
“We’re talking about a legalized slots parlor, licensed by the state,” Sawyer said. “From what I’ve read, this other issue involves illegal bookmaking. They’re not related in any way. They’re two totally different topics.”
(© MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved
I think in the grand scheme of things, this is going to end up being a very much non-story. Hockey games weren't fixed, they weren't bet on, and this alleged mob connection is just media gone wild.
<< <i>I think the whole gambling story got blown way out of proportion way too quickly, and Gretzky's name was drug through the mud as a result.
I think in the grand scheme of things, this is going to end up being a very much non-story. Hockey games weren't fixed, they weren't bet on, and this alleged mob connection is just media gone wild. >>
Well, we'll just have to wait and see how it all plays out. But in any event it's certainly not a non-story, especially with Gretzsky's wife involved. Frankly, I think there may be more, possibly much more, to this story than meets the eye. The easy speculation is that Gretzsky's wife was placing the bets for Wayne, which I think happens to make perfectly good sense.
But allow me give you an extremely quick background about local illegal bookies. Finding and busting local illegal bookies could be as easy as finding and busting jaywalkers in New York City. I could walk into any horse racetrack in the country, and other venues as well, and quickly “find” sports bookies or runners for these bookies who take sports bets. Finding sports bookies isn’t the problem - there are countless numbers of them everywhere. Police departments tend to leave them alone - too much time and paperwork involved for busy police departments in busting them…it generally isn’t worth it…EXCEPT and this is an important except…when the bookies get violent and someone presses charges. And of course if there is murder involved, an investigation is mandatory. Bottom line - there was probably if not definitely some sort of violence involved here or certainly threats of violence which frightened somebody into reporting this to the authorities.
Sports of The Times; Gretzky Is Taking Some Hits Off the Ice These Days
By DAVE ANDERSON
WHEN Wayne Gretzky glided across the ice setting N.H.L. scoring records, he always seemed to be skating inside a bubble of bulletproof glass. He hardly ever took a big hit from a goon, and when he did, one of his teammates retaliated for him. You didn't rough up the Great One without paying for it.
But over the past few days, Gretzky, the coach and part-owner of the Phoenix Coyotes, has been high-sticked harder than he ever was as a player. This time, he and his wife, the actress Janet Jones, are out there together with no enforcers around.
The New Jersey State Police announced an investigation Tuesday into a sports-betting ring said to be connected to organized crime and said to be operated by Rick Tocchet, one of Gretzky's assistants; James J. Harney, a New Jersey state trooper; and James A. Ulmer. Jones placed some $500,000 in bets with the ring in the past six weeks, including $75,000 on Super Bowl XL, according to The Star-Ledger of Newark.
Meeting with reporters in Phoenix on Tuesday night, Gretzky said he had no knowledge of any gambling allegations until Tocchet called him Monday night.
Gretzky said, ''The reality is, I'm not involved, I wasn't involved and I'm not going to be involved.'' Referring to his wife and Tocchet, he said: ''Am I concerned for both of them? Sure, there's concern from me. I'm more worried about them than me. I'm kind of like you guys, I'm trying to figure it out too.''
But yesterday, The Star-Ledger, citing law-enforcement sources, reported that state wiretaps had caught Gretzky discussing the multimillion-dollar gambling operation, presumably sometime before the ring was dismantled Monday.
After last night's game, a 5-1 loss at home to Dallas, Gretzky said he did not participate in the gambling ring and would continue to coach the Coyotes. ''First and foremost, I've done nothing wrong -- nothing that has anything along the lines of betting,'' he said.
During the game, Jones released a statement proclaiming Gretzky's innocence. ''At no time did I ever place a wager on my husband's behalf,'' she said. ''Other than the occasional horse race, my husband does not bet on any sports.''Sooner or later, when Gretzky is questioned by the N.H.L. special investigator, Robert J. Cleary, a former United States attorney who handled the Unabomber case, or is subpoenaed by a grand jury, he surely will be asked:
What did he know about the gambling ring and when did he know it? Did he ever place any bets with the ring? Did his wife place bets, for him or with her own money? Was he aware of how much she was betting? And even if some bets were placed on football or basketball, the most important question would be: Did he and his wife place bets on N.H.L. games, particularly Coyotes games?
Tocchet has denied being involved in the ring, and he was granted an indefinite leave of absence from the N.H.L. on Wednesday night by Commissioner Gary Bettman.
Bettman must also deal quickly with Gretzky's status not only with the Coyotes but as the executive director of Team Canada, the defending gold-medal winner, in the Winter Olympics men's hockey tournament, which begins Wednesday in Turin, Italy. Is Gretzky innocent until proven guilty? Or has his iconic image been so tarnished that Bettman would be prompted to suggest to Gretzky that his presence would taint the Olympics? Gretzky said last night that he planned to go to Turin.
Gretzky's connection to the investigation, and the implication of his wife, have escalated the impact of the scandal. Proof of several hockey players' betting only on football and basketball would slightly smudge the N.H.L.'s image, even if connected to Tocchet, who had 440 goals and 2,972 penalty minutes in an 18-season career. Hockey players betting through Tocchet in a gambling ring linked to organized crime would be much more damaging.
But if Gretzky were directly involved, it would be the worst scandal in N.H.L. history, and it might become even more embarrassing.
According to The Record of Hackensack, N.J., yesterday, State Police Lt. Col. Frank Rodgers said investigators believed that an unidentified N.H.L. team owner had placed bets with the gambling ring, as did more than a dozen players and others connected to N.H.L. teams.
Not that any of this seemed to surprise Arnie Wexler, a renowned counselor on compulsive gambling.
"The percentage of pro athletes who gamble on sports is greater than the percentage of the general public that does,'' Wexler said in a telephone interview from his Florida home. ''Pro athletes have high levels of energy, unreasonable expectation, very competitive personalities, distorted optimism, and high I.Q.'s, either street smart or book smart.''
Wexler said two N.H.L. players, as well as several baseball and pro football players, had sought his help. ''One of the baseball players had an $800,000 contract,'' Wexler said, ''but the next year, he owed an Atlantic City casino $25,000 and couldn't pay it. He finally gave them $8,000, and they washed the debt.''
But the N.H.L. can't just wash away this gambling scandal, not with Gretzky involved, at least through his wife. And the N.H.L. can't wash away the embarrassment, as the scandal broke, of the site for their general managers' meeting this week: Las Vegas.
Copyright 2006 The New York Times Company
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Gretzky recording only days old: Source
Earlier reports contradicted
Police mum on wiretapping
Feb. 11, 2006. 07:39 AM
JIM RANKIN AND RICK WESTHEAD
STAFF REPORTERS
A phone conversation in which Wayne Gretzky talked about whether his wife could escape attention in the widening NHL gambling scandal was recorded in a wiretap a few days ago, according to a law enforcement source.
That contradicts news reports earlier this week that suggested the alleged conversation had been recorded several weeks before the arrests. That would have meant that Gretzky, who is coach of the Phoenix Coyotes, and his assistant coach and friend Rick Tocchet were allegedly talking in the middle of a probe into the alleged gambling ring. Police say the ring involved heavy betting that continued until Feb. 5, Super Bowl Sunday, and resulted in arrests and a summons the next day.
A law enforcement source yesterday told the Star the timing of the conversation as reported was off.
While a New Jersey State police spokesperson wouldn't address wiretapping, it now appears that the alleged conversation likely took place closer to Monday, when police made arrests and had served Tocchet with a summons.
In a statement to reporters late Thursday, Gretzky made no mention of wiretap recordings. When police announced details of what they dubbed "Operation Slapshot" on Tuesday, the hockey great said he didn't know anything about any gambling ring, and had never bet on hockey.
"There's nothing for me to talk about," Gretzky told reporters in Phoenix after Thursday night's Coyotes game. "And if you have any questions for people who are involved in this, you should contact them." He also told reporters he would be heading to Turin with Canada's men's hockey team, but took no questions.
Gretzky's wife, Janet Jones, released a written statement the same night, saying she had never placed bets on behalf of her husband. Reports have suggested she was a bettor in the alleged ring, and placed $100,000 (U.S.) to $500,000 in bets during a 40-day period.
Placing a bet on sports in the U.S. is legal, but with the exception of Nevada, running a gambling-for-profit operation is not. Police allege they have seized paperwork and evidence that 1,000 bets, worth $1.7 million, were made over the 40 days, ending on Super Bowl Sunday — one of the heaviest betting days of the year.
Police say clientele of the alleged ring included present and past athletes and celebrities.
New Jersey state trooper James Harney, 40, Tocchet, 41, and New Jersey resident James Ulmer, 40, are accused of promoting gambling, money laundering and conspiracy. Harney, an eight-year veteran of the state police, is also charged with official misconduct, and has been suspended from the force. He is accused of taking bets, in partnership with Tocchet, who police allege was the financier. Ulmer, police say, was a "sitter" who funnelled bets.
Police also allege the ring had ties to the Bruno-Scarfo crime family. Police have said certain known mob figures were observed interacting with Trooper Harney.
The three are scheduled to be arraigned at Burlington County, N.J., on Feb. 21.
The alleged existence of wiretaps and their content has become front-page fodder as leaks reportedly from people familiar with the investigation appear daily, much to the consternation of the lawyers representing the accused men.
Tocchet's lawyer has ripped into the allegation of mob ties. "The allegation that Rick Tocchet financed an illegal gambling operation involving organized crime figures is categorically false and irresponsible," Kevin Marino, a New Jersey-based lawyer, said in a statement this week.
The scandal, which does not involve any alleged betting on hockey but has rocked the National Hockey League, has also dredged up past tales of Philadelphia-area mobsters who liked to rub elbows with hockey players, including one who told the FBI of his relationship with Tocchet. Nothing criminal came of it.
This time, police say they have to investigate further, but they allege Harney had contact with mob figures. "Those individuals ... hold positions in the mob. What we need to flesh out now is what role they played in the bookmaking scheme," New Jersey State Police Captain Al Della Fave said this week. "Was it just that they were bettors? Or were they something more?"
Some racketeering and money-laundering experts said that as more leaks have sprung, they are beginning to doubt some of the claims made against Tocchet and others.
"When I think of a gambling ring controlled by the mob, I picture dozens of people out on the streets collecting bets and attending various drop-off points for the bets to be processed," said Sean Patrick Griffin, an associate Penn State University professor who has studied money laundering and recently wrote a book on the history of organized crime in Philadelphia.
"This seems more like a bunch of rich people who know each other betting through a friend," Griffin said.
According to a report in the Philadelphia Daily News yesterday, Tocchet and Harney, who met nine years ago, "made a habit of regularly changing the `codes and lingo' used to place bets, while the bettors used nicknames" in an apparent attempt to avoid law enforcement.
The paper, quoting unnamed sources, also said the charges could change. Authorities are considering state racketeering charges, the paper reported, in an attempt to obtain guilty pleas.
A spokesperson for the division of the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General responsible for seeking wiretaps and grand jury subpoenas, told the paper racketeering charges were "premature."
[
But suddenly the great one gets mixed in, and everyone wants to talk about it. Everything I've ever heard is the guy has absolutely no desire for any sort of betting, even playing golf, no friendly hole wagers. It's a tough step to go from his wife placing bets to her placing bets for him.
Last time I checked, they haven't even pressed any charges against anyone, that a complaint had been filed against the assistant coach. His wife's had no charges or complaints filed, Gretzky's had no charges or complaints filed.
I can't help but think the FBI broke this after the super bowl on purpose - to make sure it got the most amount of press as possible.
<< <i>If gretzky's name isn't involved, everyone knows this is a non-story.
But suddenly the great one gets mixed in, and everyone wants to talk about it. Everything I've ever heard is the guy has absolutely no desire for any sort of betting, even playing golf, no friendly hole wagers. It's a tough step to go from his wife placing bets to her placing bets for him.
Last time I checked, they haven't even pressed any charges against anyone, that a complaint had been filed against the assistant coach. His wife's had no charges or complaints filed, Gretzky's had no charges or complaints filed.
I can't help but think the FBI broke this after the super bowl on purpose - to make sure it got the most amount of press as possible. >>
Well your point is noted but your point is mute because the fact is that Gretzsky is involved to whatever the degree - if not him, then it's his wife, his coach and his players, and who knows who else.
As far as no charges yet...it certainly appears like there will be charges...then we'll know how interesting this story could get. I have a feeling this story isn't going away anytime soon, and possibly could get bigger, possibly MUCH bigger.
Wiretap timing backs Gretzky's position
By BETH DEFALCO AND ANGELA DELLI SANTI
(AP) - Specific information on when a wiretap conversation was recorded appears to support Wayne Gretzky's contention that he had no prior knowledge of an illegal gambling ring involving his wife and Phoenix Coyotes assistant coach Rick Tocchet.
A New Jersey state police wiretapped conversation of Gretzky asking Tocchet how Gretzky's wife, Janet Jones, could avoid being named as a participant in the ring happened last Monday - the day after Jones allegedly won money betting on the Super Bowl, sources told The Associated Press.
A person with knowledge of the investigation confirmed the wiretap was recorded last Monday, the day Gretzky's lawyer said New Jersey detectives showed up at the Phoenix coach's doorstep looking to speak to his wife.
"Published reports that Wayne had spoken to Rick Tocchet about his concern for Janet prior to officers appearing at Wayne's house on Monday are completely ludicrous," said Gretzky's lawyer Ron Fujikawa. "It's absolute balderdash."
On Tuesday, New Jersey authorities announced charges against Tocchet, a New Jersey state trooper and another New Jersey man for running a nationwide sports gambling operation. State police said wagers - primarily on professional football - exceeded $1.7 million in the five weeks leading up to the Super Bowl.
Gretzky, revered as hockey's greatest player and now in his first season as Phoenix's coach, said he was unaware of any gambling accusations until Tocchet called him last Monday night.
But when reports surfaced that a wiretapped conversation between Gretzky and Tocchet happened within the last month, questions over whether Gretzky knew about the ring before authorities contacted him last Monday spawned a publicity firestorm for the first family of hockey.
In all, sources say Jones bet at least $100,000 US on football. Jones has not been charged with any crime but is expected to be subpoenaed to testify before a grand jury investigating gambling activity, lawyers said.
New Jersey police have said simply placing a bet is not illegal but that it is against the law to act as a broker or to profit from gambling.
Jim O'neal, Coyotes head of security, said he received a call from Gretzky last Monday afternoon saying authorities showed up asking to speak with his wife, who was at the couple's Los Angeles home.
"He was totally surprised," O'neal said. "He said they told him, 'We're not here to see you. We just need to serve her with something."'
Gretzky's lawyer and O'neal denied reports that New Jersey authorities surprised Gretzky and Jones at their Arizona home on Super Bowl Sunday, as a New York newspaper reported.
Tocchet also learned of the criminal investigation last Monday, O'neal said, when he was served with a criminal complaint by New Jersey detectives at a Scottsdale restaurant. O'neal said he helped broker the meeting between Tocchet and authorities.
"I filled Wayne in. I said I was meeting the two investigators ... to serve Rick Tocchet with a summons," O'neal said." Wayne called me back and asked Rick to give him a call."
A message left at the office of Tocchet's lawyer, Kevin Marino, was not returned Sunday.
A handful of NHL players have been implicated in the ring, authorities say, but none have been identified or charged. Strictly speaking, it is not a crime to place a bet, but NHL players would be violating league rules if they wagered on hockey games. There is no evidence of wagering on hockey, according to the federal prosecutor investigating the allegations on behalf of the NHL.
The New Jersey Attorney General's Office and state police said Sunday the agencies would not comment on a pending criminal investigation.
Gretzky, also the executive director of Canada's Olympic hockey team, will attend the Winter Games in Turin, Italy with his wife.
2/12/2006
Mike Sielski
NHL gambling with its integrity
Thoughts big and small ...
To those who would dismiss the burgeoning NHL gambling scandal as irrelevant, as unconnected to what happens on the ice and in the locker room, consider this news item, passed along by an e-mailer from Ontario:
A Canadian court last week fined Ted Nicholas Theodore, the father of Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jose Theodore, $24,000 for his part in a loan sharking ring. According to The Associated Press, Ted Theodore pleaded guilty to loan sharking and possessing a restricted weapon, and four of Jose's half-brothers also pleaded guilty to charges associated with the ring. When the ring was dismantled, authorities reportedly seized $525,000 from the Theodore family.
Now, I've never met Jose Theodore, and I'm certainly not suggesting that he has or would throw a game. But anyone who can't see that he might be tempted to do it is being willfully blind.
So perhaps, just perhaps, it would behoove the NHL and its players association to give the subject a bit more attention than it received in the latest collective bargaining agreement: "Gambling on any National Hockey League game is prohibited."
In a stunning lack of foresight, the agreement doesn't explain what the punishment would be for a player who gambled on an NHL game, and it makes no mention of the ramification of players' associating with bookies or handicappers. This begs an obvious question: Why should anyone take seriously a league that demonstrates so little regard for its sport's integrity?
<< <i>Now, I've never met Jose Theodore, and I'm certainly not suggesting that he has or would throw a game. But anyone who can't see that he might be tempted to do it is being willfully blind. >>
Jose Theodore doesn't have to throw games he loses them on his own talents