Shane Pinto suspended 41 games in NHL's first modern sports betting ban
Shane Pinto has been suspended 41 games for violating the NHL’s sports betting rules, the league’s first gambling-related ban in 75 years.
The NHL said in a statement there was “no evidence” that the Ottawa Senators forward, a Long Island native, bet on NHL games.
Daily Faceoff reported that the league’s investigation into Pinto involved “a sweep of gambling partners that revealed a Pinto connection to a third-party bettor.”
“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. “I take full responsibility for my action and look forward to getting back on the ice with my team.”
The league’s sports betting policy allows players to gamble on other sports, but strictly prohibits them from wagering on NHL games.
“The NHL considers this matter closed, absent the emergence of new information, and will have no further comment,” the league said in a statement.
The 22-year-old center is currently an unsigned restricted free agent and hasn’t played one game for the Senators this season.
The suspension is retroactive to the Senators’ first game of the season, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.
Friedman also reported that the investigation into Pinto has been ongoing since the summer and “intensified over the past few weeks.”
If Pinto re-signs with Ottawa, he will be eligible to return for the team’s Jan. 21 matchup against the Philadelphia Flyers.
The fourth-year player appeared in all 82 games last season, scoring 20 goals with 15 assists.
The Senators selected Pinto with the first pick of the second round in the 2019 NHL Draft.
Former Rangers and Maple Leafs defenseman Babe Pratt was suspended for betting on hockey games in 1946.
Two years later, the Bruins’ Don Gallinger and Billy Taylor were suspended for betting.
The NFL has suspended 10 players since April for various sports betting breaches.
Dozens of NCAA athletes and coaches have been punished for breaking rules surrounding sports gambling.
