Rumour - Now Confirmed - Jeff Marek Leaving Sportsnet

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Incogneto

...Which in-turn means that Marek has burned his NHL bridge. He ain't gonna be able to turn up on Amazon or TSN anytime soon. He's blackballed from league activities.

I don't know. This is a league where Stan Bowman is once again NHL GM. Leaking some draft picks a few minutes early kind of pales to what happened under Bowman's watch.

[Buff]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

I don't know. This is a league where Stan Bowman is once again NHL GM. Leaking some draft picks a few minutes early kind of pales to what happened under Bowman's watch.

Actually it is way worse. Almost the worst.

... I mean, that's kinda the message you get from this.

[Zary's-Mustache]

No surprise this wasn't just SN cutting costs like many believed.

[Zary's-Mustache]

How don't people think this is a big deal? The information is relayed to SN so their truck can be prepared for graphics and stuff strictly related to their production.

Marek abused that information and gave it to an outside source.

Don't care how much people love Marek, that's a big deal and he was rightfully fired.

[Erick Estrada]

Clearly is was a big deal to the NHL. I think we all can acknowledge that Marek made a mistake here but to me it's not overly scandalous or anything. I'm not his biggest fan or anything but he was at least listenable for me on his radio show. I hope he bounces back. You don't like the guy. We get it. Do what the internet does and kick him when he's down if you want.

[Jiri Hrdina]

He will bounce back. He's too big a name. Or he can rebound by starting his own thing or joining an outlet like The Athletic.

[AustinL_NHL]

Yea, this is about as least scandalous as one could've expected.

Marek did something against the rules, got waay over-punished for it (there's absolutely no way Sportsnet didn't see this as their opportunity to cut a major face & save money lol), and now has some people going over the top attacking him for a nothing-burger.

He'll bounce back no problem.

Just hilarious to me that Mark Seidel and his 6-likes-per-draft-tweet is the reason he was fired.

[bluejays]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

He will bounce back. He's too big a name. Or he can rebound by starting his own thing or joining an outlet like The Athletic.

That would be like an unreleased Seinfeld episode. The Athletic investigates the real reason for his release, with details, only to find him working for them. Now you can see why it was on the cutting room floor.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by AustinL_NHL

Yea, this is about as least scandalous as one could've expected.

Marek did something against the rules, got waay over-punished for it (there's absolutely no way Sportsnet didn't see this as their opportunity to cut a major face & save money lol), and now has some people going over the top attacking him for a nothing-burger.

He'll bounce back no problem.

Just hilarious to me that Mark Seidel and his 6-likes-per-draft-tweet is the reason he was fired.

I don't buy it. He is too well liked and too big a name for Sportsnet.
The NHL initiated the investigation and then brought it to Sportsnet. I think it was a "you better fire this guy" thing.
Likely due to any sensitivites related to gambling.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by AustinL_NHL

Yea, this is about as least scandalous as one could've expected.

Marek did something against the rules, got waay over-punished for it (there's absolutely no way Sportsnet didn't see this as their opportunity to cut a major face & save money lol), and now has some people going over the top attacking him for a nothing-burger.

He'll bounce back no problem.

Just hilarious to me that Mark Seidel and his 6-likes-per-draft-tweet is the reason he was fired.

It's not scandalous, but his actions did spark an investigation by Las Vegas gambling authorities. From the NHL's perspective, that is a pretty big deal, especially considering the NHL's love affair with gambling sponsors these days.

It's also a bit of a slippery slope. If the punishment isn't consequential enough, then it invites others to try similar things in the future.

I agree with others though. He made a bad decision that probably didn't really hurt anyone. I don't think what he did makes him a bad person, but from an employer's perspective, it makes him somewhat untrustworthy. Plus if the NHL told Sportsnet that they don't want him around any of their production events, then it really diminishes his value as a sports journalist.

[Zary's-Mustache]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Clearly is was a big deal to the NHL. I think we all can acknowledge that Marek made a mistake here but to me it's not overly scandalous or anything. I'm not his biggest fan or anything but he was at least listenable for me on his radio show. I hope he bounces back. You don't like the guy. We get it. Do what the internet does and kick him when he's down if you want.

It was a big deal to everyone involved. Just because you think it's a nothing burger doesn't mean anything.

You're the one who thought this was a cost cutting measure when all information pointed to the opposite and now are playing the "waited for information to come out" card.

We get it you like Marek and hate anyone who would dare see the writing on the wall. He was a weasel and rightfully got fired. Then he made a BS statement of "I'm moving on"

He was too much of a coward to admit what he did and came out with a BS statement. Good riddance.

[Calgary4LIfe]

I don't think it was scandalous - helping a friend out in itself shouldn't be punished, especially when Marek had nothing to gain from this transaction.


However, many of us sign NDAs, and of course many of us also sign rules of conduct forms as well. This strikes me as something that would be covered in at least one form, if not outright, then through a fairly clear interpretation of one of the rules. I don't blame Sportsnet for firing him, especially i the NHL came to them with that request and given the potential liabilities with gambling, if not in this instance, than for future potential incidents.


It is sad that Marek lost his job - he seems like a genuinely good person. I am sure he will find a way back into podcasting again soon enough. I am sure that the NHL will have him blacklisted officially for a couple of years, but I also think he is ultimately good for the league as many people even on these forums like him a lot. Hopefully he can find a really good gig from now until then, and maybe this change will even lead him to bigger and better opportunities that he might have overlooked. Certainly positive change can come from this, especially when by all measures he seems like a very likeable individual. The industry will help pick him up, especially given the circumstances of his dismissal.

[Flames Fan, Ph.D.]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

I don't buy it. He is too well liked and too big a name for Sportsnet.
The NHL initiated the investigation and then brought it to Sportsnet. I think it was a "you better fire this guy" thing.
Likely due to any sensitivites related to gambling.

Is it sensitivities due to gambling or is it more the NHL being upset that this ruins the kayfabe around the picks and when they’re submitted/announced? They’ve already had a bit of a kerfuffle around the lottery, so they could be sensitive to accusations things being ‘arranged’ ahead of time.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by D as in David

Or McKenzie is from the future. There is a poster here who consistently posts Flames' goals in game threads well before they are scored on TV, on the radio or any other poster. They are also from the future but I won't name them here because you don't want to mess with people from the future. It's bad enough dealing with people from your past.

You're talking ReggieDunlop? I think he's just going by radio which is ahead, no?

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

He will bounce back. He's too big a name. Or he can rebound by starting his own thing or joining an outlet like The Athletic.

he can bounce back to a degree, as in keep working. But Rogers is an absolute monopoly in this country with hockey. He won't get anywhere near where he was.

[FlamesAddiction]

I see podcasting in his future.

[dino7c]

honestly that kinda is a big deal...what a dumb move

[YyjFlames]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

Listening to the Athletic podcast on this sheds some light. Indeed the reason why Marek was fired, and Bob could do this without that risk is because Marek was performing as a member of the broadcast right holders when he leaked the info. Bob wasn't.

In addition, the NHL engaged first with the gambling authorities before they even engaged with Sportsnet.

To me, reading between the lines, I don't think this is a case of Sportsnet looking for a way to dump Marek. My guess is the NHL determined that Marek leaked info, and demanded he get fired.

Did McKenzie delete these tweets from more recent drafts? The last time I could find where he tweeted every pick was 2021 when he still worked almost full time for TSN (or I’m bad at Twitter finding).

https://x.com/tsnbobmckenzie/status/...MKKRt516SaF27A

I read a poster joke pre draft to not folllow McKenzie on draft day because he spoils the picks, but interesting if he deleted it (or his 2021 tweets nailing picks really stuck with you and them.)

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Zary's-Mustache

It was a big deal to everyone involved. Just because you think it's a nothing burger doesn't mean anything.

You're the one who thought this was a cost cutting measure when all information pointed to the opposite and now are playing the "waited for information to come out" card.

We get it you like Marek and hate anyone who would dare see the writing on the wall. He was a weasel and rightfully got fired. Then he made a BS statement of "I'm moving on"

He was too much of a coward to admit what he did and came out with a BS statement. Good riddance.

Okay moon. Carry on.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by YyjFlames

Did McKenzie delete these tweets from more recent drafts? The last time I could find where he tweeted every pick was 2021 when he still worked almost full time for TSN (or I’m bad at Twitter finding).

https://x.com/tsnbobmckenzie/status/...MKKRt516SaF27A

I read a poster joke pre draft to not folllow McKenzie on draft day because he spoils the picks, but interesting if he deleted it (or his 2021 tweets nailing picks really stuck with you and them.)

It was the year where he had just shifted into semi-retirement, which could have been 2021.