The Truth about Tocchet’s gambling “ring”

[Odd.]

This will be a bit of a read. 

 

In October 2005, New Jersey police got a tip about an illegal sports betting ring from one of their fellow officers. It’s important to note that New Jersey had some of the most strictest gambling laws in the States. Sports betting became legal in 2018, however, it is still illegal to gamble on the internet in any type of way. Utah and Hawaii remain as the only states where gambling in ANY forms is strictly prohibited. South Carolina, Tennessee, Connecticut, Georgia, Guam, North Carolina, Mississippi, and Missouri are states that have major restrictions on gambling (notice how all these states are red states? Same states that allow child marriages and criminalize weed).
 

For context, In Canada, UK, Australia, and majority of Europe, all forms of gambling are legal. 
 

State Trooper James Harney was running an illegal sports betting operation. Tocchet while he was playing with the Flyers met Harney at the Flyers’ hotel bar in which they both frequented at the time back in the 90’s. Tocchet, who was a gambler himself, decided to help fund James Harney’s sports betting operation in 2006. This “operation” was basically a network of sportsbook bets. Tocchet and the others mostly gambled on basketball and football, but they never gambled on hockey. The two had a couple of notable clientele’s. Jeremy Roenick, Travis Green, Janet Gretzky, among others were notable clients. Tocchet was the assistant coach to Wayne Gretzky while they were both coaches with the Phoenix Coyotes. 
 

Eventually, New Jersey police conducted an investigation and found there were roughly 1000 bets and $1.7M handled in a span of about 40 days, from actors, NHL players, and others associated with them. The money used was legal money and not from money acquired through any illegal means. They subsequently charged Tocchet and Harvey for running an illegal gambling ring, mind you, would have been legal in majority of the States and certainly in Canada, provided that the ring was regulated by debtors, accountants, tax collectors, and other regulatory bodies. The money wasn’t used to launder, and the funds weren’t being channeled through an illegal trade work. Tocchet used legal means of money, however, Harney had his own money laundering scheme in which he used the gambling ring to conceal the fact that he was laundering money. Police found 32 Rolex watches and 9 plasma screen TV’s, 2 found in his bathroom. It’s apparent that the intent of this ring was not to launder money, despite Harney’s questionable use of his earnings.
 

Inherently, the purpose of this gambling ring was to conduct sportsbook bets, which again, was completely illegal in New Jersey, but legal in most states. Investigation concluded Tocchet did not launder money nor was he involved in any other criminal schemes. Later investigators also admitted the gambling ring wasn’t as bad as they originally thought. Police also shut down rumors that the two had mob ties to a Philadelphia crime family which was already dwindling from notoriety.
 

In New Jersey, illegal gambling crimes can result in a max sentence of 10 years. Harney, the leader, received a 5 year prison sentence for his role along with other crimes. Despite cooperating with the police, the judge vowed that since Harvey was a public official, he would face a much heftier sentence, and would face a minimum of 5 years. Tocchet received 2 years of probation for funding the ring. Wayne Gretzky was never mentioned as being part of the ring itself. All the other clients did not receive charges and prosecutors weren’t planning to either. 10 months later, Tocchet was reinstated into the league, and rejoined as an assistant for the Coyotes.

 

My sources:

https://www.espn.com/nhl/news/story?id=2959645

https://thehockeynews.com/.amp/news/former-nhl-star-rick-tocchet-pleads-guilty-to-gambling-charges-1
https://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/tocchet-gets-2-years-probation-in-gambling-case-1.646626

 

 

In conclusion, Tocchet is not this terrible criminal portrayed in the media. He funded a sportsbook operation created by Harney, mob ties claim were fabricated, he did NOT bet on his own games let alone hockey, and did not engage in any other sort of criminal money or drug schemes normally associated with illegal gambling rings.

Edited January 26, 2023 by Odd.

[D.B Cooper]

Who cares?  
The only reason it is illegal is because the government isn’t sticking their dirty tax fingers in it. 

[DS4quality]

3 minutes ago, Odd. said:

This is all done from my research. This will be a bit of a read. No I will not put a TLDR, every detail matters.

 

In October 2005, New Jersey police got a tip about an illegal sports betting ring from one of their fellow officers. It’s important to note that New Jersey had some of the most strictest gambling laws in the States. Sports betting became legal in 2018, however, it is still illegal to gamble on the internet in any type of way. Utah and Hawaii remain as the only states where gambling in ANY forms is strictly prohibited. South Carolina, Tennessee, Connecticut, Georgia, Guam, North Carolina, Mississippi, and Missouri are states that have major restrictions on gambling (notice how all these states are red states? Same states that allow child marriages and criminalize weed).
 

For context, In Canada, UK, Australia, and majority of Europe, all forms of gambling are legal. 
 

State Trooper James Harney was running an illegal sports betting operation. Tocchet while he was playing with the Flyers met Harney at the Flyers’ hotel bar in which they both frequented at the time back in the 90’s. Tocchet, who was a gambler himself, decided to help fund James Harney’s sports betting operation in 2006. This “operation” was basically a network of sportsbook bets. Tocchet and the others mostly gambled on basketball and football, but they never gambled on hockey. The two had a couple of notable clientele’s. Jeremy Roenick, Travis Green, Janet Gretzky, among others were notable clients. Tocchet was the assistant coach to Wayne Gretzky while they were both coaches with the Phoenix Coyotes. 
 

Eventually, New Jersey police conducted an investigation and found there were roughly 1000 bets and $1.7M handled in a span of about 40 days, from actors, NHL players, and others associated with them. The money used was legal money and not from money acquired through any illegal means. They subsequently charged Tocchet and Harvey for running an illegal gambling ring, mind you, would have been legal in majority of the States and certainly in Canada, provided that the ring was regulated by debtors, accountants, tax collectors, and other regulatory bodies. The money wasn’t used to launder, and the funds weren’t being channeled through an illegal trade work. Tocchet used legal means of money, however, Harney had his own money laundering scheme in which he used the gambling ring to conceal the fact that he was laundering money. Police found 32 Rolex watches and 9 plasma screen TV’s, 2 found in his bathroom. It’s apparent that the intent of this ring was not to launder money, despite Harney’s questionable use of his earnings.
 

Inherently, the purpose of this gambling ring was to conduct sportsbook bets, which again, was completely illegal in New Jersey, but legal in most states. Investigation concluded Tocchet did not launder money nor was he involved in any other criminal schemes. Later investigators also admitted the gambling ring wasn’t as bad as they originally thought. Police also shut down rumors that the two had mob ties to a Philadelphia crime family which was already dwindling from notoriety.
 

In New Jersey, illegal gambling crimes can result in a max sentence of 10 years. Harney, the leader, received a 5 year prison sentence for his role along with other crimes. Despite cooperating with the police, the judge vowed that since Harvey was a public official, he would face a much heftier sentence, and would face a minimum of 5 years. Tocchet received 2 years of probation for funding the ring. Wayne Gretzky was never mentioned as being part of the ring itself. All the other clients did not receive charges and prosecutors weren’t planning to either. 10 months later, Tocchet was reinstated into the league, and rejoined as an assistant for the Coyotes.

 

My sources:

https://www.espn.com/nhl/news/story?id=2959645

https://thehockeynews.com/.amp/news/former-nhl-star-rick-tocchet-pleads-guilty-to-gambling-charges-1
https://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/tocchet-gets-2-years-probation-in-gambling-case-1.646626

 

 

In conclusion, Tocchet is not this terrible criminal portrayed in the media. He funded a sportsbook operation created by Harney, mob ties claim were fabricated, he did NOT bet on his own games let alone hockey, and did not engage in any other sort of criminal money or drug schemes normally associated with illegal gambling rings.

Who in the media has been talking about his conviction?

The only people I see who keep bringing it up are fans. In fact I've seen the "media" do everything they can to avoid bringing it up again.

[Nucker 67]

9 minutes ago, Odd. said:

This is all done from my research

Looks like you took a lot of bites to prepare this useless observation.

 

Haters gonna hate. 

[Odd.]

1 minute ago, DS4quality said:

Who in the media has been talking about his conviction?

The only people I see who keep bringing it up are fans. In fact I've seen the "media" do everything they can to avoid bringing it up again.

It was brought up in the presser. A lot of hockey youtube channels who bash the Canucks on a consistent basis because it’s the easiest thing to do right now are using his “past” to further question managements judgement, rather than focusing solely on his coaching record to make these opinions.

 

The thread discussing Tocchet potentially being the next head coach had a lot of people talking out of their asses and calling Tocchet a “criminal” and should be “behind bars”. 

[DS4quality]

1 minute ago, Odd. said:

It was brought up in the presser. A lot of hockey youtube channels who bash the Canucks on a consistent basis because it’s the easiest thing to do right now are using his “past” to further question managements judgement, rather than focusing solely on his coaching record to make these opinions.

 

The thread discussing Tocchet potentially being the next head coach had a lot of people talking out of their asses and calling Tocchet a “criminal” and should be “behind bars”. 

I don't remember hearing it in the presser. Also message boards are not media. Youtubers are not media. 

[Odd.]

2 minutes ago, NUCKER67 said:

Looks like you took a lot of bites to prepare this useless observation.

 

Haters gonna hate. 

Cry me a river

[Odd.]

Just now, DS4quality said:

I don't remember hearing it in the presser. Also message boards are not media. Youtubers are not media. 

Go watch the presser again then. 
 

You do realize a forum board and video sharing platform are all considered social media’s, right?

[DS4quality]

4 minutes ago, Odd. said:

Go watch the presser again then. 
 

You do realize a forum board and video sharing platform are all considered social media’s, right?

Social media is not media. A youtuber is not media. Me starting a youtube channel doesn't make me media. 

[GB5]

3 hours ago, Odd. said:

(notice how all these states are red states? Same states that allow child marriages and criminalize weed).

Weird unrelated commentary seems to impact the credibility of what you have wrote. 

 

Just stick to the facts.

[Odd.]

10 minutes ago, GB5 said:

Weird unrelated commentary seems to impact the credibility of what you have wrote. 

 

Just stick to the facts.

States with heavier stricter gambling laws are also states that aren’t exactly progressive. That’s the point I was trying to make. 

[TheRussianRocket1994]

4 hours ago, Odd. said:

This will be a bit of a read. 

 

In October 2005, New Jersey police got a tip about an illegal sports betting ring from one of their fellow officers. It’s important to note that New Jersey had some of the most strictest gambling laws in the States. Sports betting became legal in 2018, however, it is still illegal to gamble on the internet in any type of way. Utah and Hawaii remain as the only states where gambling in ANY forms is strictly prohibited. South Carolina, Tennessee, Connecticut, Georgia, Guam, North Carolina, Mississippi, and Missouri are states that have major restrictions on gambling (notice how all these states are red states? Same states that allow child marriages and criminalize weed).
 

For context, In Canada, UK, Australia, and majority of Europe, all forms of gambling are legal. 
 

State Trooper James Harney was running an illegal sports betting operation. Tocchet while he was playing with the Flyers met Harney at the Flyers’ hotel bar in which they both frequented at the time back in the 90’s. Tocchet, who was a gambler himself, decided to help fund James Harney’s sports betting operation in 2006. This “operation” was basically a network of sportsbook bets. Tocchet and the others mostly gambled on basketball and football, but they never gambled on hockey. The two had a couple of notable clientele’s. Jeremy Roenick, Travis Green, Janet Gretzky, among others were notable clients. Tocchet was the assistant coach to Wayne Gretzky while they were both coaches with the Phoenix Coyotes. 
 

Eventually, New Jersey police conducted an investigation and found there were roughly 1000 bets and $1.7M handled in a span of about 40 days, from actors, NHL players, and others associated with them. The money used was legal money and not from money acquired through any illegal means. They subsequently charged Tocchet and Harvey for running an illegal gambling ring, mind you, would have been legal in majority of the States and certainly in Canada, provided that the ring was regulated by debtors, accountants, tax collectors, and other regulatory bodies. The money wasn’t used to launder, and the funds weren’t being channeled through an illegal trade work. Tocchet used legal means of money, however, Harney had his own money laundering scheme in which he used the gambling ring to conceal the fact that he was laundering money. Police found 32 Rolex watches and 9 plasma screen TV’s, 2 found in his bathroom. It’s apparent that the intent of this ring was not to launder money, despite Harney’s questionable use of his earnings.
 

Inherently, the purpose of this gambling ring was to conduct sportsbook bets, which again, was completely illegal in New Jersey, but legal in most states. Investigation concluded Tocchet did not launder money nor was he involved in any other criminal schemes. Later investigators also admitted the gambling ring wasn’t as bad as they originally thought. Police also shut down rumors that the two had mob ties to a Philadelphia crime family which was already dwindling from notoriety.
 

In New Jersey, illegal gambling crimes can result in a max sentence of 10 years. Harney, the leader, received a 5 year prison sentence for his role along with other crimes. Despite cooperating with the police, the judge vowed that since Harvey was a public official, he would face a much heftier sentence, and would face a minimum of 5 years. Tocchet received 2 years of probation for funding the ring. Wayne Gretzky was never mentioned as being part of the ring itself. All the other clients did not receive charges and prosecutors weren’t planning to either. 10 months later, Tocchet was reinstated into the league, and rejoined as an assistant for the Coyotes.

 

My sources:

https://www.espn.com/nhl/news/story?id=2959645

https://thehockeynews.com/.amp/news/former-nhl-star-rick-tocchet-pleads-guilty-to-gambling-charges-1
https://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/tocchet-gets-2-years-probation-in-gambling-case-1.646626

 

 

In conclusion, Tocchet is not this terrible criminal portrayed in the media. He funded a sportsbook operation created by Harney, mob ties claim were fabricated, he did NOT bet on his own games let alone hockey, and did not engage in any other sort of criminal money or drug schemes normally associated with illegal gambling rings.

WHO CARES!!!

[RU SERIOUS]

.....................

Edited January 26, 2023 by RU SERIOUS

[Timråfan]

54 minutes ago, IRR said:

WHO CARES!!!

I do, I read a lot of shat about Tocchet, Gretzky and it all was just bs.

So it was really good to read what all the fuzz was about. 

[J-23]

Wait, this is what everyone was so worked up about lol

[Dr. Crossbar]

2 hours ago, GB5 said:

Weird unrelated commentary seems to impact the credibility of what you have wrote. 

 

Just stick to the facts.

That's the first thing I thought of when I read that. 

[48MPHSlapShot]

6 hours ago, Odd. said:

(notice how all these states are red states? Same states that allow child marriages and criminalize weed).

Stopped reading here. 

[Alflives]

Where is that poster who hates Tocchet so much he stopped cheering for us and is now a full on Krackhead (fan)?

[Westcoasting]

2 hours ago, Alflives said:

Where is that poster who hates Tocchet so much he stopped cheering for us and is now a full on Krackhead (fan)?

He went down to drive the bandwagon!!

[stawns]

9 hours ago, Odd. said:

This will be a bit of a read. 

 

In October 2005, New Jersey police got a tip about an illegal sports betting ring from one of their fellow officers. It’s important to note that New Jersey had some of the most strictest gambling laws in the States. Sports betting became legal in 2018, however, it is still illegal to gamble on the internet in any type of way. Utah and Hawaii remain as the only states where gambling in ANY forms is strictly prohibited. South Carolina, Tennessee, Connecticut, Georgia, Guam, North Carolina, Mississippi, and Missouri are states that have major restrictions on gambling (notice how all these states are red states? Same states that allow child marriages and criminalize weed).
 

For context, In Canada, UK, Australia, and majority of Europe, all forms of gambling are legal. 
 

State Trooper James Harney was running an illegal sports betting operation. Tocchet while he was playing with the Flyers met Harney at the Flyers’ hotel bar in which they both frequented at the time back in the 90’s. Tocchet, who was a gambler himself, decided to help fund James Harney’s sports betting operation in 2006. This “operation” was basically a network of sportsbook bets. Tocchet and the others mostly gambled on basketball and football, but they never gambled on hockey. The two had a couple of notable clientele’s. Jeremy Roenick, Travis Green, Janet Gretzky, among others were notable clients. Tocchet was the assistant coach to Wayne Gretzky while they were both coaches with the Phoenix Coyotes. 
 

Eventually, New Jersey police conducted an investigation and found there were roughly 1000 bets and $1.7M handled in a span of about 40 days, from actors, NHL players, and others associated with them. The money used was legal money and not from money acquired through any illegal means. They subsequently charged Tocchet and Harvey for running an illegal gambling ring, mind you, would have been legal in majority of the States and certainly in Canada, provided that the ring was regulated by debtors, accountants, tax collectors, and other regulatory bodies. The money wasn’t used to launder, and the funds weren’t being channeled through an illegal trade work. Tocchet used legal means of money, however, Harney had his own money laundering scheme in which he used the gambling ring to conceal the fact that he was laundering money. Police found 32 Rolex watches and 9 plasma screen TV’s, 2 found in his bathroom. It’s apparent that the intent of this ring was not to launder money, despite Harney’s questionable use of his earnings.
 

Inherently, the purpose of this gambling ring was to conduct sportsbook bets, which again, was completely illegal in New Jersey, but legal in most states. Investigation concluded Tocchet did not launder money nor was he involved in any other criminal schemes. Later investigators also admitted the gambling ring wasn’t as bad as they originally thought. Police also shut down rumors that the two had mob ties to a Philadelphia crime family which was already dwindling from notoriety.
 

In New Jersey, illegal gambling crimes can result in a max sentence of 10 years. Harney, the leader, received a 5 year prison sentence for his role along with other crimes. Despite cooperating with the police, the judge vowed that since Harvey was a public official, he would face a much heftier sentence, and would face a minimum of 5 years. Tocchet received 2 years of probation for funding the ring. Wayne Gretzky was never mentioned as being part of the ring itself. All the other clients did not receive charges and prosecutors weren’t planning to either. 10 months later, Tocchet was reinstated into the league, and rejoined as an assistant for the Coyotes.

 

My sources:

https://www.espn.com/nhl/news/story?id=2959645

https://thehockeynews.com/.amp/news/former-nhl-star-rick-tocchet-pleads-guilty-to-gambling-charges-1
https://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/tocchet-gets-2-years-probation-in-gambling-case-1.646626

 

 

In conclusion, Tocchet is not this terrible criminal portrayed in the media. He funded a sportsbook operation created by Harney, mob ties claim were fabricated, he did NOT bet on his own games let alone hockey, and did not engage in any other sort of criminal money or drug schemes normally associated with illegal gambling rings.

was it against the law?