Canadian outlet Sportsnet “quietly parted ways” with NHL broadcaster Jeff Marek after he was accused of tipping draft picks to a friend, according to a report in The Athletic.
Marek was a commentator on the NHL Draft for the network.
He had gone dark on social media since July 9, with no TV appearances or episodes of his “32 Thoughts” podcast, and fans of his were concerned.
3 Sportsnet team’s Jeff Marek was accused of tipping NHL Draft picks. Getty Images
“Jeff Marek of 32 Thoughts has completely disappeared from the face of the earth since the evening of the draft,” X user Jack Manning tweeted on July 23.
According to The Athletic, 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.”
The NHL referred the situation to the Nevada Gaming Control Board, as the Draft took place at the Sphere in Las Vegas.
“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,” the Board told The Athletic in a statement.
Reps for the NHL and Sportsnet did not respond to the outlet’s request for comment, nor did Marek, though he did acknowledge his departure on X last week.
“After 13 great years at Sportsnet, I’m moving on,” he wrote on July 26. “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.”
3 Jeff Marek announced his departure from Sportsnet on X. JeffMarek/X
3 Jeff Marek on his Sportsnet show in March 2024. Sportsnet on YouTube
Marek was accused of tipping the picks to his longtime friend, Mark Seidel.
While the report said no “gambling impropriety” was found in the situation, Seidel had tweeted correct prognostications of draft picks before they were formally announced.
Marek has been a fixture in Canadian sports media for over two decades and joined Sportsnet in 2011.
His “32 Thoughts” podcast teammate, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman, thanked his longtime partner.
“Life throws curveballs at you,” he wrote on X. “I will miss being his teammate, and thank him for being a tremendous co-pilot on the start to our 32 Thoughts podcasting voyage — which will continue.”