Shane Pinto

Shane Pinto
Pinto with the Ottawa Senators in 2023
Born	(2000-11-12) November 12, 2000 (age 23) Franklin Square, New York, U.S.
Height	6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight	192 lb (87 kg; 13 st 10 lb)
Position	Center
Shoots	Right
NHL team	Ottawa Senators
National team	United States
NHL draft	32nd overall, 2019 Ottawa Senators
Playing career	2021–present

Shane Pinto (born November 12, 2000) is an American professional ice hockey center for the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted 32nd overall by the Senators, the first pick in the second round of the 2019 NHL entry draft.

Early life

Pinto was born November 12, 2000, in Franklin Square, New York. ^[1] He grew up in an athletic household: his father Frank grew up playing baseball, while his mother Catherine and older sister Brianna both played softball. ^{[2] [3]} Pinto began ice skating at the age of seven and joined his first organized hockey team two years later, but he preferred baseball and American football to ice hockey. ^{[3] [4]} He did not decide to focus on hockey until the age of 14, when Pinto suffered a clavicle fracture during football practice that left him temporarily unable to play another sport. ^[3]

Pinto spent most of his minor ice hockey career with the Brooklyn Aviators, a second-tier team in the United States Premier Hockey League (USPHL). ^[5] At the age of 12, he helped lead his Aviators team to a state championship. ^[6] After two years at H. Frank Carey Junior-Senior High School in Franklin Square, Pinto left for South Kent School in Connecticut to further his ice hockey career. In his final season there, he recorded 34 goals and 31 assists for 65 points in 54 games and was part of the 2018 USA Hockey National Championship team. ^{[7] [8]}

Playing career

Junior

After the 2016–17 season, Pinto was drafted in the 21st round, 330th overall, by the Lincoln Stars of the United States Hockey League (USHL). ^[4] He then joined the USHL for the 2018–19 regular season where he quickly began producing for the Stars. Through his first 30 games in the league, Pinto tallied 17 goals and 15 assists for 32 points while also leading all rookies with six power-play goals. In January 2019, Pinto was traded to the Tri-City Storm in exchange for Michael Colella, a 2019 third-round Phase II draft pick, a 2020 second-round Phase II draft pick, and future considerations. ^[9] Pinto was named to the USHL all-rookie team in 2019 after leading all first-year players with 59 points in 59 games. ^[10]

Collegiate

Pinto committed to playing the 2019–20 season with the North Dakota Fighting Hawks and was considered the top recruit for that year's incoming freshman class. ^[11]

During his first development camp with the Ottawa Senators, Pinto impressed scouts with his play, and after completing his sophomore season with the Fighting Hawks, Pinto concluded his collegiate career by signing a three-year, entry-level contract with the Ottawa Senators on April 1, 2021. ^[12]

Professional

After undergoing the mandatory quarantining period, ^[12] Pinto made his NHL debut late in the 2020–21 season and scored his first goal on May 5, 2021, against the Montreal Canadiens against Jake Allen. ^[13] He finished the season tallying one goal and six assists. ^[14] Pinto later participated in rookie camp a few months later in September, where he was appointed team captain for one game. ^[15] Pinto missed nearly the entire 2021–22 season due to injuries. During his fourth game of the year, he was hit into the boards by Mario Ferraro of the San Jose Sharks and left with a shoulder injury. He attempted to return nine games later against the Pittsburgh Penguins but re-injured the same shoulder while taking a faceoff. He ended up having surgery and missed the rest of the year. ^[16]

Pinto recovered on time to start the 2022–23 season and got off to a hot start. In October he was named the NHL's rookie of the month after scoring six goals in eight games. ^[17] He finished the season with 20 goals and 35 points in 82 games. ^[18]

As a restricted free agent, a contract dispute led Pinto to miss the entire 2023 training camp and the first weeks of the 2023–24 season. ^[19] On October 26, 2023, the NHL suspended Pinto 41 games for violating the league's rules on sports gambling. Although the NHL indicated that no evidence was found on him of wagering on NHL games, the suspension (one of the longest in league history), was the result of a negotiation between Pinto, the NHL Players' Association, and the league, and was not the result of a formal disciplinary process; Pinto subsequently released a statement apologizing for his infraction. ^{[20] [21]} Pinto had been under investigation since the early summer, after a NHL betting partner had flagged issues with Pinto's account details with the league, and Pinto had also been reported to have had connections with a third-party proxy bettor. ^[21] As a result of the suspension, Pinto was not allowed to return to the Senators' lineup until January 21, 2024. ^[22] On January 19, 2024 Pinto signed a one-year contract with the Senators. ^[23] He returned to the Senators lineup on January 21 against the Philadelphia Flyers and picked up his first point of the season in a 5–3 victory for Ottawa. ^[24]

International play

Pinto was named to the United States men's national junior ice hockey team for the 2020 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. ^[25] Pinto enjoyed early success for the team, being named the player of the game for the opening game of the tournament against Canada men's national junior ice hockey team after scoring two goals and getting an assist. ^[26]

Personal life

Pinto is a golf afficionado who has played on the Bethpage Black Course. ^[27] Growing up in New York, Pinto was a childhood fan of the Pittsburgh Penguins, crediting Sidney Crosby and the 2009 Stanley Cup Finals as inspiration for his ice hockey career. ^{[5] [27]}

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2018–19	Lincoln Stars	USHL		30	17	15	32	51		—	—	—	—	—
2018–19	Tri-City Storm	USHL		26	11	16	27	12		—	—	—	—	—
2019–20	University of North Dakota	NCHC		33	16	12	28	46		—	—	—	—	—
2020–21	University of North Dakota	NCHC		28	15	17	32	4		—	—	—	—	—
2020–21	Ottawa Senators	NHL		12	1	6	7	10		—	—	—	—	—
2021–22	Ottawa Senators	NHL		5	0	1	1	2		—	—	—	—	—
2022–23	Ottawa Senators	NHL		82	20	15	35	18		—	—	—	—	—
2023–24	Ottawa Senators	NHL		41	9	18	27	14		—	—	—	—	—
NHL totals				140	30	40	70	44		—	—	—	—	—

International

Year	Team	Event	Result		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2018	United States	WJAC			6	1	1	2	4
2020	United States	WJC	6th		5	4	3	7	2
2024	United States	WC	5th		8	2	7	9	6
Junior totals					11	5	4	9	6
Senior totals					8	2	7	9	6

Awards and honors

Award	Year	Ref
College
All-NCHC First Team	2020–21	[28]
AHCA West First Team All-American	2020–21	[29]

References

1. "Shane Pinto Stats and News". National Hockey League . Retrieved October 26, 2023.
2. Garrioch, Bruce (April 3, 2021). "Shane Pinto is ready to make the next step to the Ottawa Senators once quarantine comes to an end". Ottawa Sun . Retrieved October 26, 2023.
3. Mendes, Ian (February 22, 2023). "How Shane Pinto's family sparked his unlikely rise to the NHL" . The Athletic . Retrieved October 27, 2023.
4. Gray, Tim (October 18, 2018). "Stars' Pinto now loving hockey after late start to the sport" . Lincoln Journal Star . Retrieved October 26, 2023.
5. Scanlan, Wayne (September 15, 2021). "Pinto ready to take his best shot at Senators camp after unique road to NHL". Sportsnet . Retrieved October 26, 2023.
6. "Aviator hockey star Shane Pinto drafted to the NHL". Aviator Sports and Events Center. June 26, 2019. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
7. Rubin, Roger (April 17, 2021). "Long Island's Shane Pinto: Center of attention for NHL debut with Senators". Newsday . Retrieved October 26, 2023.
8. "South Kent Alumnus Shane Pinto '18 Excels Again!". South Kent School. April 8, 2021. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
9. "Storm Acquire Forward Shane Pinto in Trade with Lincoln". Our Sports Central. January 23, 2019. Retrieved September 23, 2022.
10. "Awards - USHL All-Rookie Team". Elite Prospects. Retrieved September 23, 2022.
11. "North Dakota announces six newcomers to 2019–20 roster". The Mighty 790 KFGO. Archived from the original on July 3, 2019.
12. "Ottawa Senators sign forward Shane Pinto to entry-level contract". Ottawa Senators. April 1, 2021. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
13. Tidcombe, Matt (May 5, 2021). "Pinto scores first NHL goal as Sens beat Canadiens". Ottawa Senators. Retrieved September 23, 2022– via NHL.com.
14. "Shane Pinto". Elite Prospects. Retrieved August 19, 2022.
15. Tidcombe, Matt (September 19, 2021). "Pinto wears 'C' during rookie game". Ottawa Senators. Retrieved September 23, 2022– via NHL.com.
16. Tidcombe, Matt (November 30, 2021). "Pinto out for foreseeable future with shoulder injury". Ottawa Senators. Retrieved November 25, 2022– via NHL.com.
17. Schlossman, Brad Elliott (November 2, 2022). "Shane Pinto named NHL's Rookie of the Month". Grand Forks Herald. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
18. Fraser, Callum (September 20, 2023). "Senators optimistic they'll sign Pinto to contract soon". National Hockey League. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
19. Richardson, Lyle (October 19, 2023). "Shane Pinto's Contract Saga Drags on in Ottawa". The Hockey News. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
20. Friedman, Elliotte (October 26, 2023). "Senators' Pinto to be suspended 41 games for violating NHL gambling rules". Sportsnet. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
21. Johnson, Chris (October 27, 2023). "Johnston: What I'm hearing about the Shane Pinto suspension and what comes next". The Athletic . Retrieved October 28, 2023.
22. Garrioch, Bruce (October 26, 2023). "Garrioch: Senators centre Shane Pinto suspended for gambling violations". Ottawa Sun. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
23. "Senators sign Shane Pinto to one-year contract after gambling suspension". Sportsnet. Associated Press. January 19, 2024. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
24. Garrioch, Bruce (January 21, 2024). "Shane Pinto makes his presence felt in his return to Ottawa Senators". Ottawa Sun. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
25. "2020 U.S. National Junior Team Roster Announced". Team USA Hockey. December 23, 2019.
26. "Canada vs. USA: 2020 prospect Alexis Lafreniere dazzles as Canada defeats rival at 2020 World Juniors". The Sporting News. 12 August 2021.
27. Pam, Murray (June 27, 2019). "SN Q&A: Senators' prospect Shane Pinto on being drafted, his late start to competitive hockey and the USHL". The Sporting News . Retrieved October 26, 2023.
28. "North Dakota Paces 2020-21 NCHC All-Conference Teams". nchchockey.com. March 8, 2021. Retrieved April 5, 2021.
29. "Boston College, Minnesota, North Dakota, Wisconsin lead way with three All-American college hockey players apiece for '20-21 season". USCHO.com. April 9, 2021. Retrieved April 10, 2021.

External links

• Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com , or  Eliteprospects.com , or  Eurohockey.com , or  The Internet Hockey Database

Awards and achievements
Preceded by Taylor Ward	NCHC Rookie of the Year 2019–20	Succeeded by Veeti Miettinen
Preceded by Justin Richards	NCHC Defensive Forward of the Year 2020–21	Succeeded by Connor Ford
Preceded by Jordan Kawaguchi	NCHC Forward of the Year 2020–21	Succeeded by Bobby Brink
Preceded by Scott Perunovich	NCHC Player of the Year 2020–21	Succeeded by Bobby Brink