Wild's Vanek implicated in money laundering scheme

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Vulcan

That Vanek seems to be gambling on sports is what is disturbing to me. This is also one of the reasons mentioned why no major sports team has gone to Vegas.

I'm not a Vanek fan by any means but you would be misguided in thinking Vanek is an isolated case. Lots of professional athletes dabble in gambling. I personally don't see the harm of a hockey player gambling on football or baseball, etc. If he's gambling on NHL hockey then he's in Pete Rose territory and there should be severe consequences.

[Alberta_Beef]

Originally Posted by Hugh Jahrmes

Investigated and charged are two completely different things. Pitchfork mob was so two centuries ago

Neither have been charged. So what was that?

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

It is extremely unlikely that the NHL is not already well aware of this given Vanek has already been participating in the investigation. So while your faux outrage is cute, the situations really aren't comparable at this point.

I'm highly impressed that you know how I feel about things better than I do. The fact you know my "outrage" is false when I had no clue is incredibly impressive. You must work as a psychic in your spare time.

[Hugh Jahrmes]

Originally Posted by Alberta_Beef

Neither have been charged. So what was that?

.

I must have misread the prior news then (it happens), and likely in this case misinterpreted a post regarding either Daryl Sutters stance on the situation or a reply in the thread as assuming he was charged.

On another note, can you actually just sign the back of a six figure check and pass it off to your bookie? I realize not everyone is a financial guru but I thought it was fairly common for the leagues up and comers / top earners to employ financial advisors ?

[Alberta_Beef]

Originally Posted by Hugh Jahrmes

On another note, can you actually just sign the back of a six figure check and pass it off to your bookie? I realize not everyone is a financial guru but I thought it was fairly common for the leagues up and comers / top earners to employ financial advisors ?

If you endorse a cheque made out to you, then yeah you can hand it over to anyone and they can legally cash is.

You would think by now the NHL would have direct deposit though

[Gaskal]

@SwissHockeyNews - 8m

Historic Swiss hockey night today as three players (Hiller,Diaz,Bärtschi) will be lined up for the same team, the Calgary Flames. #NHL

Getting some attention for having three Swiss players on the roster.

[Muta]

Originally Posted by Gaskal

Getting some attention for having three Swiss players on the roster.

Did Vanek bet on this?

[Gaskal]

Originally Posted by Muta

Did Vanek bet on this?

Boy I sure posted this in the wrong thread...thought I was in the Sven getting called up thread when I made the post and was wondering why it disappeared

[Rerun]

Originally Posted by Vulcan

That Vanek seems to be gambling on sports is what is disturbing to me. This is also one of the reasons mentioned why no major sports team has gone to Vegas.

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

I'm not a Vanek fan by any means but you would be misguided in thinking Vanek is an isolated case. Lots of professional athletes dabble in gambling. I personally don't see the harm of a hockey player gambling on football or baseball, etc. If he's gambling on NHL hockey then he's in Pete Rose territory and there should be severe consequences.

Seems to me that if the NHL awards Las Vegas a team, they are just asking for more problems like this.

To me it just doesn't seem like the smart thing to do, no matter how viable a LV franchise might be.

[T@T]

Originally Posted by Vulcan

That Vanek seems to be gambling on sports is what is disturbing to me. This is also one of the reasons mentioned why no major sports team has gone to Vegas.

Except you don't have to be in Vegas to gamble in Vegas.

[Rerun]

Originally Posted by T@T

Except you don't have to be in Vegas to gamble in Vegas.

No but it certainly is a lot easier and the temptation is in your face 24/7.

[sureLoss]

Bookie claims Vanek owed him $10 million dollars and told Vanek that he (the bookie) would get hurt if Vanek did not pay him.

National Hockey League star Thomas Vanek apparently bet — and lost — a lot.

A local bookie, Joseph Ruff, on Friday admitted to extorting a $230,000 payment from Vanek as partial payment of gambling losses Vanek owed. After the plea, Ruff's attorney, Matthew Parrinello, said Vanek had owed upward of $10 million.

"He wasn't very good," Parrinello said of Vanek's gambling performance.

Ruff pleaded guilty in federal court Friday to illegal gambling, an extortion conspiracy and a money-laundering conspiracy. The target of the extortion plot was not identified in court but Parrinello later identified the individual as Vanek.

Vanek, who previously played with the Rochester Americans and Buffalo Sabres, now plays for the Minnesota Wild.

Vanek played with the New York Islanders when he made the $230,000 payment. He endorsed over a team paycheck for the payment early this year.

Vanek was never threatened with any physical harm, Parrinello said. Instead, Ruff lied to Vanek and said that he — Ruff — would be hurt if he didn't collect some money toward what Vanek owed.

"According to the law, was it extortion?" Parrinello said. "Yes."

Under an agreement with prosecutors, Ruff's sentence will be 41 months if a judge approves it at Ruff's March sentencing. He also forfeited his Greece home, tens of thousands of dollars in various accounts, another $10,000 seized in police raids, and $50,000 in a business account held by his attorney.

[tendulkar23]

Was Vanek not made aware that by signing his NHL contract he would become a role model and help raise the children of other people? I hope he has been watching all the coverage of Jean Beliveau; that is the only way a hockey player should act.