Ex-Sportsnet insider Jeff Marek investigated by Vegas gambling authorities: report
The news of Sportsnet quietly firing NHL insider Jeff Marek came as a shock to some fans, especially because they were never granted a proper explanation.
Now, newly surfaced information suggests that the network may have had a good reason to part ways with the well-known hockey analyst, who had been a staple of Canadian sports media for over a decade.
According to a new investigative report by Katie Strang and Dan Robson of
The Athletic, Marek was fired from Sportsnet due to allegations of sharing information about draft picks during the 2024 NHL Draft.
In July, Sportsnet quietly parted ways with Jeff Marek.
It wasn’t the kind of move that normally would have gone unannounced, but the reason behind it led both parties to choose silence.
Marek had been questioned by the Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB) and NHL security for… pic.twitter.com/Dmkm1UbVEg
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) August 1, 2024
“Marek had come under scrutiny from the NHL during the first round of the draft for allegedly revealing to a friend which players teams were drafting moments before those picks were publicly announced,” wrote Robson and Strang, citing league and media industry sources. “The NHL shared concerns about the situation with the Nevada Gaming Control Board, which probed further, according to multiple sources briefed on that investigation.”
The reported “friend” in question is Mark Seidel, a former NHL scout and current independent scout, who has repeatedly posted highly accurate draft predictions on social media.
I’ll try to send out what I can from the Sphere but I have a bunch of stuff going on so I will probably be in and out but I’ll try. My success rate will drop a lot because the best I have on most Teams are 2 or 3 potential names so most will be educated guesses but I’ll effort. https://t.co/Nhfssg7RXD
— North American Central Scouting Independent Bureau (@MarkSeidel) June 28, 2024
The timing and accuracy of Seidel’s posts (many of which have now been deleted), combined with his known relationship with Marek, ultimately led to concerns that information was shared with him, which raised alarms from league officials and betting regulators.
In his farewell message to fans last week, Marek did not go into detail about why he was leaving the network.
“After 13 great years at Sportsnet, I’m moving on,” he wrote in an X post. “It’s been an incredible journey and I’m thankful to have worked alongside so many great people and played a role in bringing sports and hockey news to fans across Canada and the world. More to come soon.”
As for the state of the investigation into Marek, who also co-hosted the 32 Thoughts podcast with Elliotte Friedman, the Nevada Gaming Control Board provided The Athletic with the following comment:
“As a law enforcement and regulatory agency, the Nevada Gaming Control Board does not comment on whether it is, or isn’t, investigating particular persons or entities.”
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