(Kanata) Against the Canadian, Thursday evening, the Ottawa Senators will play their 40e match of the season. Their Saturday duel, against the Winnipeg Jets, will therefore be their 41e. And that of Sunday, in Philadelphia, their 42e.
A clever calculation, you will say, and you will be right. Where it’s interesting is that in all likelihood, there will be a newcomer in the Sens lineup on Sunday. A forward wearing jersey number 57 for whom this will be his very first game in 2023-2024.
It is in fact this weekend that Shane Pinto’s suspension will end. Last October, the young center player was given a 41-game sanction. In a terse 55-word press release, the NHL indicated that the 23-year-old American was punished for having taken part in “activities related to sports betting”.
To this day, that’s pretty much all we know about this story. Last fall, various media outlets wrote that an NHL “partner” had reported sports betting “activity” on behalf of Pinto. The circuit, in fact, has several partnership agreements with online gaming firms. The Betway site is even the sponsor whose name appears on the helmets of Senators players for home games.
The league’s investigation concluded that Pinto did not bet specifically on NHL games. He still received the longest suspension in league history.
The affair caused a great stir. Many commentators have rightly criticized the league for its proximity to the sports betting industry. Pinto, however, preferred to keep a low profile and not appeal the sanction.
Back
Last Friday, the young man reappeared at his team’s training. He also spoke to journalists on site.
Without revealing anything about the circumstances leading to his suspension, he showed real relief at the idea of returning to the game. “It’s been a long road,” he admitted. The Athletic website reports its press briefing in more detail.
The suspension took him by surprise, he said. She also “broke his heart”. He said he realized that “life can change very quickly,” adding that he learned a lot from his experience. We won’t take it again.
After spending the last few months in the New York area, where his family lives, he is back in the Canadian federal capital.
Within the team, there is no ambiguity: Pinto is expected to be in uniform as soon as he is allowed to do so.
On Wednesday, head coach Jacques Martin, in response to a question about the state of special teams, noted that “when Shane Pinto comes back, he will be able to [les] help to be more effective. It is therefore no longer a question of “if”, but of “when”. And yes, after scoring 20 goals in his first full NHL season, he should indeed help the Senators’ power play.
Without contract
However, there remains another formality to settle: he must sign a contract.
Pinto, in fact, did not participate in his team’s training camp last fall because he was unable to reach an agreement with the organization on the terms of a new agreement. The Senators were indeed stuck under the salary cap and, apparently, they were trying by all means to free up space so that he could start the season on time. Not only did it not happen, but this suspension did happen.
Under the circumstances, Pinto no longer really has any negotiating power. We therefore expect him to sign a one-year contract at a modest salary by Sunday morning. He will become a restricted free agent again next summer and can hope to obtain a better salary at that time.
Even without a contract, he was entitled to train with his teammates, if he wished, during the 10 days before the end of his suspension. He was also at work, Wednesday and Thursday, during the passage of The Press at the Senators Amphitheater. However, he was not made available by the team for an interview.
This long saga is therefore drawing to a close. This will be one less file to manage for the organization, which has plenty of work ahead of it, particularly to salvage what can still be saved from this miserable season.
In this regard, adding one more talented player to the roster certainly won’t hurt.