In fact, Jones has long been considered Yoko to Gretzky's Lennon. She is perceived as having steered him away of The Great White North and toward Hollywood and all America's excess. (By "excess," we mean "Police Academy sequels.") And now she has him gambling in Vegas and on horses but, uh, nowhere else while she puts down $100K in bets herself.

We'd like to note that Jones' personal spokesperson is a man named Elliot Mintz. You might recognize that name as — yep — Yoko Ono's publicist.

And hey, he's the Hilton sisters' too.

Troubled Gretzky Heading to Turin [ABC News]

First off, Wayne Gretzky, who didn't exactly have his wife's back from the get-go, has been caught, according to the Newark Star-Ledger, on wiretaps discussing the gambling. On the tapes, he appears fully aware of his wife's role. As Off Wing puts it, "This is like seeing Babe Ruth or Hank Aaron thrown into the dock." Remember, we're talking about Wayne Gretzky here. You can also expect many calls for him to recuse himself from his involvement with the Olympic team soon. (Oh, here's a rundown of Ms. Jones' "career.")

As for the Unabookie himself, Rick "The Rick" Toucchet, he's taking an immediate leave from the Coyotes and is expected to be arraigned in the next week. Tocchet's lawyer says, "Mr. Tocchet intends to fight these charges with the same grit and resolve he displayed throughout his long and illustrious NHL career." That is to say, he's going to hit the charges with a stick when they're not looking.

Tocchet Plans to Fight Charges [Washington Post]
Gretzky Caught On Gambling Wiretap [Off Wing Opinion]
Gretzky: Janet Who? [Puck Update]

(UPDATE: The Arizona Republic is reporting that Coyotes GM Mike Barnett made wagers with the Unabookie. Hoo boy.)

It's not just hoping that Tocchet's mob name was "The Rick." It could bust the lid off rumblings of gambling that have been simmering under the surface of the league for years. SI.com has an excellent rundown of what's at stake here, and it's not just Wayne Gretzky's apparent confusion that his wife was allegedly making bets with his friend and assistant coach. The NHL is saying it's disturbed but points out that no one was gambling on hockey. But, if you've watched "The Sopranos," you know all about RICO statutes, and the doors that can be opened once an investigation starts. And it's going to be extremely difficult to shut them.

The NHL is about to get itself rocked. It has been a difficult year-and-a-half for the league, and it's gonna get worse. Bruise Brother, indeed.

Defining Moment [SI.com]
The Real Issue [Off Wing Opinion]

Tocchet appears to have taken the moniker to heart. The New Jersey state attorney general has charged Toucchet — now an assistant coach with the Coyotes; he took over as head coach when Wayne Gretzky left the team earlier this year — with promoting gambling, money laundering and conspiracy in accordance with "mob-related activities."

Tocchet, one of the most popular players in Flyers history, is alleged to have helped to finance the gambling ring, which implicated "about a dozen" (unnamed) current NHL players. So far, they haven't uncovered any hockey gambling — just football and baseball — but the investigation is, as they say, ongoing.

And hey, just more than a month until "The Sopranos." We're currently halfway through Season 4 in our quest to rewatch everything and get caught up.

Ex-Flyer Tied To National Gambling Ring [NBC 10]

(UPDATE: Hoo boy: A Philly news station says that Mark Recchi and Janet Jones are also reportedly involved. You might also know Jones as "Wayne Gretzky's wife." This story is about blow up very huge. Do stay tuned.)