It all started in February of '06. Former NHL player and assistant coach of the Phoenix Coyotes Rick Tocchet was charged with running a gambling ring that had ties to organized crime.
Tocchet also brought Wayne Gretzky and his wife Janet into the the mix of it, but no charges were ever put on either. Today, Tocchet pleaded guilty to the charges and will face a maximum of 10 years in prison.
"It's a huge operation and I think it exposes to people the allure of
gambling, illegal gambling, in New Jersey," state criminal justice director Gregory A. Paw said outside the courthouse."I'm sure everyone recalls the manner in which the case was initially announced and described,'' said Kevin Marino, the defense
lawyer for Tocchet. "I think [Friday's] proceeding speaks for itself."
Tocchet may avoid jail time for being a 1st time offender.
Because one of the charges of gambling were on hockey gambling, it looks like the door is open for Tocchet to return to the NHL as a coach.
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