News

It began more than 20 months ago as Operation Slapshot — an investigation into the illegal gambling activities of a New Jersey state trooper that also swept up Phoenix Coyotes assistant coach Rick Tocchet — and it finally came to a resolution yesterday.

Tocchet, who received two years of probation from a New Jersey court on Aug. 24 for his part in the operation, learned he will not be allowed to return to coaching until Feb. 7, 2008, the two-year anniversary of his leave of absence from hockey.

The ruling came from NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, who announced his decision at a news conference in the New York law offices of Proskauer Rose LLP yesterday.

Bettman was accompanied by lawyer Robert Cleary, who conducted an independent investigation on behalf of the NHL into Tocchet's involvement in the gambling ring, which was said to have processed more than 1,000 wagers exceeding $1.7-million (U.S.) on pro and collegiate sports.

Cleary said his investigation found no evidence of gambling on hockey after interviewing almost 100 people associated with the NHL. Cleary gave Bettman his report on Monday.

In handing down his ruling, Bettman acknowledged there "are those who suggest that Mr. Tocchet should be prohibited from resuming active status in the league for an extremely long and additional period of time, perhaps forever. In my view, those who would make such a suggestion are not familiar with all the facts and are still focused on the original headlines."

Bettman said he was "satisfied that the league's interest in both discouraging inappropriate and in this case criminal behaviour and in sufficiently punishing the same are adequately served by Mr. Tocchet having been deprived of the privilege of participating for two entire calendar years in the NHL, which would amount to [164] regular-season games."

Bettman put three conditions on Tocchet's reinstatement: that he not gamble, that he not engage in any conduct that may reflect adversely on the NHL and that he submit himself for evaluation by the doctors under the NHL substance abuse and behavioural health program to determine whether he suffers from a compulsive gambling addiction and, if so, undergoes such treatment as the professional counsellors require.

"I am reserving the right to further discipline Mr. Tocchet should he fail to strictly abide by any of these conditions," Bettman said

Tocchet and Coyotes general manager Don Maloney met with Bettman on Tuesday to make the case for immediate reinstatement on the grounds that Tocchet has been barred from the game for more than 1 1/2 years.

"The fact is, the reality of this case never lived up to the massive amount of hype and speculation circulating after the investigation was made public," Bettman said.

Other than apologizing to the court before his sentencing, Tocchet hasn't said much about the matter since the day Operation Slapshot broke, when he dismissively called his problems "a football thing — nothing to do with hockey."

That part was borne out by the trial evidence. Despite the investigation dragging on since the story first hit the headlines just before the Turin Winter Olympics last year (and dragged Janet Jones, the wife of Wayne Gretzky, and others into the muddle), none of the investigating bodies found evidence that the operation took bets on hockey.

The Coyotes issued a one-paragraph statement through their public relations department: "We respect the commissioner's decision and are relieved that this situation is behind us. We will welcome Rick Tocchet back on Feb. 7, 2008."