Shane Pinto

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. 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. 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. 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.

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). At the age of 12, he helped lead his Aviators team to a state championship. 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.

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). 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. Pinto was named to the USHL all-rookie team in 2019 after leading all first-year players with 59 points in 59 games.

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.

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.

Professional
After undergoing the mandatory quarantining period, 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. He finished the season tallying one goal and six assists. Pinto later participated in rookie camp a few months later in September, where he was appointed team captain for one game. 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 reinjured the same shoulder while taking a faceoff. He ended up having surgery and missed the rest of the year.

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. He finished the season with 20 goals and 35 points in 82 games.

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. 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. 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. As a result of the suspension, Pinto was not allowed to return to the Senators' lineup until January 21, 2024. On January 19, 2024 Pinto signed a one-year contract with the Senators. 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.

International play
Pinto was named to the United States men's national junior ice hockey team for the 2020 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. 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.

Personal life
Pinto is a golf afficionado who has played on the Bethpage Black Course. 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.