Jeff Marek reportedly let go from Sportsnet for revealing draft picks

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TJ Tucker
August 1, 2024 (9:37)

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A report from The Athletic says beloved broadcaster Jeff Marek was fired from Sportsnet for revealing draft picks to friends before they were announced publicly

He was quite possibly the most universally liked hockey broadcaster in Canada. However, after 13 years at Sportsnet, Jeff Marek announced in recent weeks that he was leaving. No explanation was given other than he was moving on to new things. However, a report from the New York Times says the beloved hockey broadcaster was pulled off the air over an alleged incident at the 2024 NHL Entry Draft.

The report from Katie Strang states Marek was let go for allegedly letting a friend know which players would be drafted by which teams minutes before the actual announcements were made.

"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 runs his own service known as the North American Central Scouting Independent Bureau. The two have known each other for years, and Seidel has appeared on several podcasts with Marek. It was noted that Seidel seemed to have a knack for correctly predicting picks minutes before they were made.

"In Las Vegas, Seidel correctly predicted several picks on X, which prompted concerns that Marek had informed Seidel who those teams were picking."

Neither Marek, Seidel, the NHL, Sportsnet, or the Nevada Gaming Commission would comment on the report from the New York Times and The Athletic. Rogers/Sportsnet owns the rights to NHL games in Canada and, as such, is given the names of each draft pick just before they are announced so everyone can be ready to get the proper reactions (this is why the camera is always focused in the right player to get his reaction when his name is announced).

"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."

The NYT report says people close to Marek stated he is not known to gamble, and in fact had expressed concern with gambling ads that aired on podcasts he was involved in. Katie Strang also reached out to longtime co-host Elliotte Friedman for comment on the allegations against Marek. He also declined to comment.

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