Former Sportsnet hockey broadcaster Jeff Marek, who this week launched a new digital daily show with The Nation Network, said he is in good standing with the NHL after allegedly revealing NHL draft selections to a third party before they were publicly announced. Although the incident reportedly led to his departure from Sportsnet, the NHL’s national broadcaster in Canada, Marek doesn’t believe the league would object to him working for a rights holder again in the future.
“I had meetings with people very high up in the NHL who told me that my problem was none of their business and that they had no problem with me,” Marek told SBJ. The NHL declined to comment on its relationship with Marek.
Marek, a mainstay of Sportsnet’s hockey coverage for more than a decade, has yet to address the incident that reportedly ended his tenure at the Rogers Communications-owned broadcaster. He cited a confidentiality agreement as the reason for his silence on the matter.
According to a investigative report from The Athletic in AugustMarek reportedly informed a talent scout about upcoming selections in the 2024 NHL Draft at the Sphere in Las Vegas. As the rights holder, Sportsnet had the information moments before the picks were announced on stage for production purposes. While the NHL reportedly reported the situation to the Nevada Gaming Control Board, a source cited by The Athletic said no evidence has emerged that Marek’s motivation for disclosing the picks was financial or gaming-related.
“Rogers” 12-year rights deal with NHL expires after the 2025-26 season, and NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said Rogers had a exclusive trading window it starts in January. Amazon, which is currently sublicensing a weekly NHL game from Rogersis a potential contender for the next round of rights, alongside Bell Media-owned TSN and state broadcaster CBC.
‘ LEAF OF ROCK: This week, Marek launched his new show, “The Sheet,” with The Nation Network, a Canadian digital sports media company owned by Denmark-based Better Collective. In addition to hosting “The Sheet,” he will be a regular contributor to DailyFaceoff.com, TNN’s flagship hockey news and information site.
“I wanted to work somewhere big enough to be well funded so we could keep the lights on and get things done, but small enough that we could pivot quickly to reflect the tastes of a hockey fan or a modern sports fan, besides, that can change pretty quickly,” Marek said of his decision to join TNN.
On “The Sheet,” which airs daily at 3 p.m. ET and is available as a podcast, Marek plans to explore general hockey topics rather than just recapping the previous night’s slate of games. In addition to the NHL, Marek plans to cover “hockey with a capital ‘H’,” including the history of the game, prospects and women’s hockey.
“I try to look at hockey as a major ecosystem,” Marek said. “I don’t just do the NHL, or junior hockey, or the NCAA, or just Europe. I look at it as a big puzzle that I try to piece together every day.”
