Glenn Healy recalls when Frank Torpey, the longtime NHL director of security, would visit locker rooms in the 1980s to warn players about the dangers of illegal sports betting. In those days, such warnings evoked images of shady bookies seeking injury details and handling cash transactions. Today, with gambling legalized across the U.S. and Canada, the risks have evolved.
Earlier this season, Ottawa Senators player Shane Pinto was suspended for 41 games for breaching the NHL’s gambling policy. Although details were scarce and the investigation found no evidence of Pinto betting on NHL games, the incident highlighted the need for improved education on the issue.
Healy, a retired goaltender and current executive director of the NHL Alumni Association, noted that while gambling education has always been provided, it now needs to be more readily accessible and enforced due to the increased prevalence of gambling compared to the 1980s. He emphasized that both the league and the NHLPA are addressing the issue.
The NHL Alumni Association has teamed up with the Entain Foundation U.S., a nonprofit organization that promotes responsible gambling and collaborates with various sports associations, including the NFLPA’s Professional Athletes Foundation and the MLS Players Association.
