Sens sign Pinto to contract ahead of return from suspension

Ottawa Senators forward Shane Pinto is seen during an NHL hockey game against the Columbus Blue Jackets in Columbus, Ohio, Sunday, April 2, 2023. (Paul Vernon, File/AP Photo)

The Ottawa Senators have signed forward Shane Pinto to a one-year, $775,000 contract ahead of his return from a gambling related suspension.

Pinto was suspended by the NHL for 41 games in October for "activities relating to sports wagering,” according to the league.

The 23-year-old had missed the first six games of the NHL season as he continued contract talks with the Senators before he was suspended on Oct. 26, 2023.

"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," Pinto said in a statement released by the Senators when he was suspended.

"I take full responsibility for my actions and look forward to getting back on the ice with my team."

The NHL, a number of its franchises, and several star players -- including Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews -- have high-profile sponsorship deals with gambling websites.

The Senators became the first NHL team to add a gambling-related entity as a helmet sponsor with Bet99 in 2021. Their home helmets feature the logo for Betway, an international gambling company.

The last NHL players suspended for gambling before Pinto were Billy Taylor, Don Gallinger and Babe Pratt back in the 1940s.

The native of Franklin Square, N.Y. was one of five players to skate in each of the Senators’ 82 regular-season games in 2022-23, reaching new career highs with 20 goals, 15 assists and 35 points.

Pinto enters the year with 43 points consisting of 21 goals, 22 assists and 30 penalty minutes over the first 99 games of his NHL career.

His first game this season will mark the 100th of his NHL career. Pinto is eligible to return to the Senators lineup on Sunday, when Ottawa visits Philadelphia.

With files from Josh Pringle and The Canadian Press