Hockey legend Wayne Gretzky and his wife, actress Janet Jones, are part of an New Jersey investigation into a gambling ring that may have organized crime connections.

TRENTON, N.J. — Wayne Gretzky was recorded on a wiretap talking to the alleged financier of a gambling ring, discussing how the hockey great's wife could avoid being implicated, a person with knowledge of the investigation told The Associated Press on Thursday.

Gretzky, coach and part-owner of the Phoenix Coyotes, can be heard on wiretaps made within the past month talking about his wife with assistant coach Rick Tocchet, the person said, speaking on the condition of anonymity because the investigation was ongoing.

After Phoenix's game on Thursday night, Gretzky did not take questions or talk about the wiretaps during a brief news conference. He reiterated that he had never bet and said he planned to stay with the Coyotes and attend the Turin Olympics as Team Canada's executive director.

Gretzky's wife, actress Janet Jones, allegedly bet at least $100,000 on football games over the course of the investigation by state authorities, the person with knowledge of the investigation said.

There is no evidence that Gretzky placed any bets, according to the person.

Jones released a statement before the game, saying, "At no time did I ever place a wager on my husband's behalf, period. Other than the occasional horse race, my husband does not bet on any sports."

Phoenix general manager Michael Barnett also released a statement during the game, addressing media reports that he bet on the Super Bowl through Tocchet and later met with investigators in New Jersey about the case.

"They informed me that my conduct has in no way violated either federal or state laws," he said.

Authorities say from Dec. 29 through Feb. 5 — the day of the Super Bowl — bettors placed a total of $1.7 million in wagers with the ring run by a New Jersey state trooper, Tocchet and a South Jersey man. All face charges of promoting gambling, money laundering and conspiracy and are scheduled to be arraigned in Superior Court in Mount Holly on Feb. 21, the state Attorney General's office said Thursday.

Jones has not been charged.

Elliot Mintz, a spokesman for Jones, said in a statement that she may be called as a witness before a grand jury in New Jersey.

"Janet is merely one of a number of witnesses and there is no allegation whatsoever that Janet has violated any law," he said.

Investigators are looking into whether anyone involved in the 5-year-old ring, which authorities say had a connection to organized crime in Philadelphia and southern New Jersey, bet on NHL games.

Lawyers involved in the case said details of the three-month investigation should not be made public.

"I have never been involved in a case where the prosecution has engaged in such inappropriate conduct in terms of making investigators available to the press, appearing on nationally syndicated television," said Kevin Marino, a lawyer for Tocchet, who was granted an indefinite leave from the NHL Wednesday. "It's improper, it's unwarranted and I will not tolerate it."

Attorneys for all three men charged in what authorities have dubbed "Operation Slapshot" said they will fight the charges.

State investigators said they will interview more hockey players who were believed to have placed bets, in part to determine whether there was any gambling on hockey. So far, authorities say, they do not have evidence that there was.

The NHL has hired Robert Cleary, a former federal prosecutor who handled the Unabomber case, to investigate.