Turin – Team Canada expects to keep its front office and roster fully intact throughout the Winter Games, a spokesman said Thursday, even as its Olympics hockey boss, Wayne Gretzky, is drawn deeper into an NHL gambling probe.
Gretzky and his squad are scheduled to arrive in Turin on Tuesday, then quickly gather for a 45-minute evening practice. Canada opens its Olympic schedule against Italy the next afternoon.
But the team is closing ranks as New Jersey authorities trace ties from a sports betting ring to Gretzky’s wife and his Phoenix Coyotes assistant coach, Rick Tocchet. State investigators using a wiretap overheard Gretzky discuss the gambling operation, and investigators are considering whether to issue a subpoena ordering Gretzky to testify before a grand jury, according to two newspaper reports.
Asked if Hockey Canada has re-evaluated Gretzky’s position as the Olympic team general manager, spokesman Brad Pascall said: “There is no change in the status of our men’s staff.
“We had some changes (Wednesday) due to some players being injured, and those are the only changes we expect to make,” Pascall said.
Hockey Canada officials also don’t foresee Gretzky’s travel being restricted or his time in Italy shortened amid talk of a subpoena in New Jersey.
“It’s so hypothetical that, no,” Pascall said. “It’s status quo. We’re moving forward.”
New Jersey authorities have charged Tocchet, a former Colorado Avalanche assistant coach, with money laundering, promoting gambling and conspiracy, alleging he was the financier of a multimillion dollar sports betting service.
He has taken a leave of absence from the NHL. Police revealed that Gretzky’s wife, Janet Jones, and at least a half-dozen NHL players allegedly placed bets with the ring. Authorities have said the wagers were not made on hockey games.
International Olympic Committee member Dick Pound on Thursday said the organization remains “very concerned” about the specter of gambling money influencing outcomes in professional and amateur sports. But he said the criminal findings so far have not sparked any talk within the IOC of keeping pro athletes out of the Olympics.
“I’m sure that as we sit here today, there are frenzied meetings occurring within the NHL and probably other sports, professional sports … saying, ‘What do we do about this?”‘ Pound said.
“Baseball, the whole question of gambling actually seems to be more important to them than drug tests. I mean, the Pete Rose situation is a perfect case in point,” Pound added. “Is it a danger? Yes, it really is. It’s a very serious danger.
“Is it a reason to exclude professional athletes generally from the Games? No, I don’t think so, unless there is some revelation we can’t yet imagine.”
Bill Briggs can be reached at 303-820-1720 or bbriggs@denverpost.com.
