The real reason behind Jeff Marek's firing finally revealed

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Cooper Godin
August 1, 2024 (10:20)

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New information has emerged as to why insider Jeff Marek is no longer at Sportsnet.

After several days of rumours, Jeff Marek finally confirmed the news himself in a post on social media last Friday, saying that after 13 years, his time with Sportsnet has come to an end.

"After 13 great years at Sportsnet, I'm moving on. It's been an incredible journey and I'm thankful to have worked alongside so many great people and played a role in bringing sports and hockey news to fans across Canada and the world. More to come soon.
- Jeff"

Many were wondering why Jeff Marek was let go from Sportsnet as he's been a great host of his own radio show, 'The Jeff Marek Show', and was loved for his insight on the '32 Thoughts' podcast with fellow insider, Elliotte Friedman.

On Thursday, new information has come to light about Jeff Marek's dismissal from Sportsnet and is has to do with the 2024 NHL Entry Draft in Las Vegas.

According to Katie Strang and Dan Robson of The Athletic, Jeff Marek allegedly revealed to a friend which players were going to be selected by which teams moments before the organization took to the podium. The NHL then shared this information with the Nevada Gaming Control Board, before Marek was ultimately let go by Sportsnet.

As part of Sportsnet's broadcasting crew, Marek is in the loop with who is going where on draft night as teams inform the broadcasters who they are selecting roughly two minutes prior to it being made official. This allows the broadcasters to quickly put together a highlight package and graphics, while getting their cameras panned to the player in the stands with his family. With having this information, Marek then allegedly relayed it to his friend, as The Athletic was told by industry sources.

"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."

The Athletic reached out to the Nevada Gaming Control Board for comment, but they declined to say anything, citing that as a law enforcement and regulatory agency, they cannot share if they are or aren't investigating an individual.

We'll have to wait and see what comes of this, but with how beloved Jeff Marek was at Sportsnet, everyone is hoping to see him back on television or in the podcasting world as soon as possible.