A new setback has developed in the Shane Pinto saga. The restricted free agent, who has yet to come to terms with the Ottawa Senators on a new contract, was suspended by the NHL for 41 games for “activities relating to sports wagering”. The suspension is retroactive to the Senators first game of the season, making Pinto eligible for return on January 21st against the Philadelphia Flyers.
At this time there is no confirmation of what Pinto did to earn the suspension. As noted in the Tweet above, the NHL did specifically mention that there was no evidence that he wagered on any NHL games.
Shortly after the NHL announced the ban, the Ottawa Senators released a statement through their website supporting both Pinto and the league’s stance on gambling. In addition to the team’s statement, Pinto also offered this,
“I want to apologize to the National Hockey League, the Ottawa Senators, my teammates, the fans and city of Ottawa and most importantly my family. I take full responsibility for my actions and look forward to getting back on the ice with my team.”
The NHL is currently walking a fine line between having several teams sponsored by online casinos or sports wagering sites (including Betway, who is the current helmet sponsor for the Senators) and policing players and league personnel. Other than “don’t bet on NHL games” the league does not appear to have a formal gambling policy in the current CBA.
In the past, players such as Jaromir Jagr and Tomas Vanek have made the news for some of their gambling debts but were not disciplined by the league. Evander Kane was investigated in 2021 after allegations were made that he gambled on NHL games, but the league could not find any proof of such actions.
In regards to his contract situation with the Senators, there is speculation that he will sign the original qualifying offer from this summer. There was recent hope that the two sides had come close to a two-year agreement when Pinto was in Ottawa a few weeks ago, but he abruptly returned to his home in New York. According to The Ottawa Sun, once the Senators were made aware of the investigation, they were told to “rescind any offers made…during the negotiations that took place over the summer.”
As this is a developing situations, we will update when more information is confirmed.