The first hockey jersey I ever got (and yes I did go through a little phase there) was Rick Tocchet's #22 Flyers home sweater. He was a star on the Flyers when I first started watching hockey, a brawler who couldn't skate, but man could he score. I stuck with him in Pittsburgh, LA, Boston, DC, Phoenix, and I rejoiced when he came home and, as you'll see in the video, was still the same ol' Rick. I hoped he'd stay with the organization when he retired, but he took a gig in Phoenix with old friend Wayne Gretzky.
Apparently that's not all he took, as he yesterday admitted to being part of a multimillion dollar gambling ring, which he is said to have run alongside a NJ state trooper.
The state alleges that the ring processed $1.7 million in bets
during one 40-day period that included the Super Bowl and the college
bowl games.Authorities also allege that on Jan. 1, 2006, the operation took 17
bets totaling $40,000 on professional football games from one customer.While authorities have never identified who placed wagers with the
betting ring, sources have said regular customers included a
recognizable list of professional athletes and celebrities, including
former Flyer Jeremy Roenick and actress Janet Jones, the wife of hockey
icon Wayne Gretzky. Gretzky is now the coach of the Phoenix Coyotes.
Tocchet was his assistant.
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The court hasn't determined whether Tocchet will see any time in the sin bin, and his status with the NHL is up in the air. I don't think he has any real priors, and since half of us have been known to lay a wager on a game or two, can't we give an old Orange and Black hero a break? What happened to the power of celebrity and police connections? What is this world coming to?
>>Former Flyer pleads guilty in gambling case [Inquirer]