An insider information scandal involving the NHL has led to the abrupt removal of veteran Canadian NHL analyst Jeff Marek from the airwaves, The Athletic reports.

Jeff Marek, a well-known figure among Canadian hockey fans, has been notably absent from Sportsnet’s broadcasts since covering the 2024 NHL Draft at the Las Vegas Sphere in June. According to The Athletic, Marek was quietly fired by Sportsnet in July, despite having two years left on his contract, after it was discovered that he leaked draft pick information to his friend, Mark Seidel.

As a Sportsnet interviewer, Marek had access to information about team selections approximately two minutes before they were officially announced. He allegedly passed some of this information to Seidel, a former NHL scout, who then tweeted the picks just before they were made public, The Athletic alleges.

NGCB Investigation

The NHL reported the incident to the Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB), prompting an investigation, according to sources who spoke to The Athletic. The NGCB has stated it does not comment on ongoing investigations involving specific individuals or entities.

Sources close to the matter, speaking anonymously, have stated that Marek does not gamble and was uncomfortable promoting sports betting on air. They claim Marek shared the information with Seidel solely to provide analysis on social media.

Seidel has a history of accurately predicting draft picks, often framing his tweets as potential sports betting advice. For example, during the 2022 draft, he tweeted, “Philadelphia and Cutter Gauthier were made for each other… I’d lay money on him,” shortly before Gauthier was picked by Philadelphia.

Radio Silence

Marek’s sudden disappearance from Sportsnet broadcasts and his social media hiatus did not go unnoticed. Marek, who has 244.6K followers on X, eventually broke his silence on July 26 with the following tweet:

“After 13 great years at Sportsnet, I’m moving on. 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.”

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