Here's the alleged reason behind Jeff Marek's Sportsnet firing

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Axel Williams
August 1, 2024 (2:43 PM)

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Jeff Marek was recently fired from Sportsnet and it has launched a whole journalistic investigation into exactly what went down.

In a joint report between The Athletic and The New York Times, Katie Strang looked into what went down between Sportsnet and Marek. Marek was beloved and many were confused about him being fired. Well, as it turns out, Marek had allegedly told a friend of his who would be getting drafted, minutes before the picks went out. This subsequently led to fears that gambling could be involved, and the Nevada Gaming Control Board was contacted.

"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, according to 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 friend in question is Mark Seidel, a former NHL scout who now has his own agency. While there are no allegations of nefarious gambling practices, some are confused as to why Marek was allegedly feeding him this information. However, it seems like it was purely in the interest of Seidel providing better analysis to his followers.

"League and media sources said that Marek gave Seidel a heads up on the picks so that Seidel could better prepare and offer analysis of those selections on social media. Professional sports leagues are known to monitor social media during live events such as drafts; it is also common for leagues to partner with external integrity and compliance firms to monitor social media activity."

It is important to note that these are allegations and unconfirmed for the most part. However, Strang appears confident in her sources, who preferred to remain anonymous.

Were you upset about Jeff Marek's firing? Let us know in the poll down below. Additionally, stay tuned to Red Wings Insider for the latest news and updates from around the hockey world.

Source: The New York Times
Why was a beloved hockey broadcaster pulled off the air?

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