Shane Pinto Opens Up After 41-game suspension comes to an end

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Tom Banks
January 12, 2024 (9:05 PM)

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The Ottawa Senators were rocked this past summer after the NHL handed down a 41-game suspension to young forward Shane Pinto, whose punishment has now officially come to an end.

Pinto officially returns to skate with teammates

It was a long road for Pinto, and after taking place in a skate with his Senators teammates, he was unsurprisingly excited when talking about the return to reporters.

«I don't want to get too emotional, but it's awesome,» Pinto told a handful of reporters in Ottawa on Friday. » It's been a long road for me.»

The 23-year-old had skated in just 99 games in his career before the suspension rocked the Senators and the NHL, and with a career-high 35 points for Pinto a season ago, he's clearly ready to find his way into a consistent role once more.

Pinto opens up on the long road that was his 41-game suspension

Beyond the excitement for his return, Pinto was candid about the lengthy process that his 41-game suspension, but he takes full responsibility for the actions that led up to the suspension.

«It broke my heart, honestly. I care about this game so much,» Pinto said. «I put so much time and effort into it. To get it taken away from you for that long, it's tough to hear. You're kind of in shock at first.»

«I got to be more cautious, more mature in what I'm doing. I got to realize what position I'm in,» Pinto said. «There is always going to be a microscope on professional athletes. I took that for granted and I got to be better about it. Life can change in an instant. I learned that pretty quick.»

After opening up, Pinto made it clear that his focus was now on a return to hockey and the Ottawa Senators, and after learning his lesson, it's unlikely that he'll partake in such activities again in the future.

As Read on Hockey Feed - Pinto breaks silence on 41-game gambling suspension