Shane Pinto finally opens up on the betting scandal that landed him 41-game suspension (image credit: IMAGN)
Ottawa Senators forward Shane Pinto has opened up on the betting scandal that resulted in his 41-game suspension to begin the year last season. Pinto was the first NHL player to be suspended for gambling.
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At the time of the suspension, there wasn’t much known about what exactly Pinto did, but he has finally opened up about it. Speaking on the Empty Netters podcast, he revealed he was using his friends in the States to bet on games on his account, which is illegal.
“Basically, it was like I had my buddies because I was in America, and they were playing SBCs for me. The account, like I tried, but I wasn’t a Canadian citizen, so I couldn’t really use a Canadian sportsbook. So I just had my buddies place bets for me, and that’s proxy betting, which is obviously a big no-no.
“It was an illegal act, so obviously it was a pretty big deal. That’s why we didn’t want to fight it. We just kind of accepted it, and I did what I had to do. I took the penalty, and thankfully, thank God I played a good 41 games because, hell, I didn’t know what would happen.”
After missing the first 41 games, Pinto still recorded nine goals and 18 assists for 27 points in 41 games.
Shane Pinto signs extension with Senators
At the end of the season, Shane Pinto was a pending RFA, but he signed a two-year extension with the Ottawa Senators.
The deal is worth $3.75 million per season. It is a bridge deal, but it keeps the forward in Ottawa for at least two more campaigns, which GM Steve Staois is excited about.
“We’re thrilled to reach agreement with Shane,” said Staios. “This negotiation was one of many significant items that needed to be addressed this summer and we remained committed to doing that given the importance of Shane’s role within our forward group. As the roster continues to take shape, we’re eagerly awaiting training camp.”
Pinto was drafted with the 32nd overall pick in the 2019 NHL draft. He has appeared in 140 NHL games, recording 30 goals and 40 assists for 70 points.
