In the 1980s, hockey’s Wayne Gretzky and basketball’s Michael Jordan were the brightest stars of their sports. Now the two potentially are on the verge of having something else in common – having their reputations tarnished because of sports gambling.
The Newark Star-Ledger and Associated Press have reported that sources said Gretzky, a part-owner and the head coach of the Phoenix Coyotes, was heard discussing sports gambling issues in wiretapped and taped conversations with assistant coach Rick Tocchet in the past month.
The reports said the unnamed sources reported the coaches were talking about how to avoid Gretzky’s wife, actress Janet Jones, being implicated in wagers placed with a Tocchet-financed gambling ring in New Jersey.
That would be inconsistent with what Gretzky said this week when news broke of Tocchet’s involvement in the ring, and of wagers said to have been placed by Jones. Then, Gretzky said he didn’t even know of the ring’s existence until Tocchet called him late Monday and warned him of the impending firestorm.
“I’m like you guys, I’m trying to figure it all out,” Gretzky told reporters Tuesday.
Before the Coyotes played Dallas on Thursday night, Gretzky told the East Valley (Ariz.) Tribune: “If I had made one bet, I would have quit the Coyotes. I would never embarrass the team or the organization. If I had made one bet, I would have quit Team Canada. I would never embarrass them. There’s nothing for me to hide from.”
After the game, a 5-1 loss, he said: “I’m not going anywhere. I’m still going to coach the Phoenix Coyotes. I’ve done nothing wrong. I’m going to Italy on Sunday. I’m going to be with Team Canada.
“I hope you appreciate that these three days have been horrible, and I’m just too tired mentally and physically to talk any more about it.”
Tocchet, an Avalanche assistant from January 2003 until July 2004, plus two others – New Jersey state trooper James Harney and James Ulmer – have been charged with conspiracy, promoting gambling and money laundering. Tocchet is scheduled to be arraigned in Superior Court in Mount Holly, N.J., on Feb. 21. He is on a leave of absence from the NHL, under stringent terms set forth by commissioner Gary Bettman.
Officials are alleging that six to 12 NHL players might be involved in gambling on sports.
Phoenix general manager Michael Barnett released a statement during the game, addressing media reports he bet on the Super Bowl through Tocchet and later met with investigators in New Jersey about the case.
“They informed me that my conduct has in no way violated either federal or state laws,” Barnett said.
The Gretzky issue is a bit fuzzy because of what might arguably be a sexist assumption involving Gretzky’s connection to the ring. That assumption, which at least seems to be implied in some of the coverage of the unfolding scandal: that Jones wouldn’t place large football wagers on her own. The Star-Ledger on Tuesday said sources had told the paper Jones had wagered $500,000 in the 40-day period covered by the investigation, including $75,000 on the Super Bowl.
Authorities are investigating the possibility Jones was placing the alleged wagers for Gretzky, but the news outlets said their sources have acknowledged there is no hard evidence she was acting on her husband’s behalf. Jones has not been charged with a crime.
The Coyotes issued a statement Thursday, quoting Jones as saying: “At no time did I ever place a wager on my husband’s behalf, period. Other than the occasional horse race, my husband does not bet on any sports.”
The NHL doesn’t ban its players or anyone connected with the league from making legal wagers on other sports. However, placing wagers with prohibited bookmaking operations is illegal.
New Jersey authorities are also checking into the possibility the gambling ring could have links to organized crime.
Gretzky’s involvement – peripheral or otherwise – is a potential black eye for a sport striving for credibility and still attempting to recover from a lockout that scrubbed last season. He is also GM of the Canadian team competing in the Olympic Games in Italy.
“There’s different rumors every day,” Avs defenseman Rob Blake said. “No one will know everything until it comes to trial or whatever they have to do. It’s an unfortunate situation, but it will play itself out.”
Blake was a Gretzky teammate with the Los Angeles Kings and, along with Avs captain Joe Sakic, is scheduled to play for Canada in Turin.
The other Colorado-related subplot is Tocchet’s year-and- a-half tenure as an Avalanche assistant. He was hired one month after Bob Hartley was ousted as head coach and Tony Granato replaced him.
If authorities are correct, Tocchet already had been involved as a financial backer of the New Jersey gambling ring for about two years when he joined the Avalanche.
New Jersey officials say Tocchet was a member of the Philadelphia Flyers when he met Harney in the early 1990s. Harney was a bartender at the Holiday Inn near the Flyers’ home arena, the Spectrum.
Staff writer Adrian Dater contributed to this report.
Terry Frei can be reached at 303-820-1895 or tfrei@denverpost.com.
