Pinto says gambling suspension was result of proxy betting

Ottawa Senators forward Shane Pinto lifted the lid on his 41-game suspension for violating the NHL’s gambling rules.

“I had my buddies – because I was in Canada – just place bets for me in America,” he explained during a recent appearance on the “Empty Netters” podcast. “I wasn’t a Canadian citizen so I couldn’t really use a Canadian sportsbook. … That’s proxy betting, so that’s obviously a big no-no. It was an illegal act so, obviously, it was a pretty big deal.

“So that’s why we didn’t want to fight (the suspension) and we just kinda accepted it.”

The league announced that Pinto would be banned for half the 2023-24 campaign in late October, marking the NHL’s first betting-related ban in the world of online wagering. There was no evidence to suggest that Pinto bet on NHL games.

Pinto said he leaned on his family and teammates during his time on the sidelines and focused on his training while also staying away from social media.

The 23-year-old made his season debut in late January and chipped in with nine goals and 27 points in 41 outings, good for the highest point-per-game rate (0.66) of his career.

“I just did my best with the hand I got dealt with,” Pinto said. “Obviously it was a little bit my fault, so I’m not gonna like, (ask for) pity over it. I thought I did a good job of responding from it.”

He added: “I’m glad it’s over, but I learned a lot from it. Thank god it’s all behind me.”

Pinto was limited to just five games in 2021-22 because of a shoulder injury, which he said was “tough,” but acknowledged that his gambling suspension was “brutal.”

“I let down the boys, that’s just what it was,” he said. “That was the worst part about it. … We had a tough start (to the year) – not saying it was a big deal that I wasn’t there – but, still, it was a big distraction. … I never wanted to be like that towards the fellas.”

Pinto was a restricted free agent this summer and the Senators signed him to a two-year extension with a $3.75-million cap hit in early July. The New York native represented the United States at the 2024 IIHF World Championship, where he totaled nine points in eight games.

Ottawa selected him with the first pick of the second round during the 2019 NHL Draft. Pinto has amassed 30 goals and 70 points in 140 career games.