Shane Pinto reveals why he didn't fight 41-game suspension

This past October, the National Hockey League slapped Ottawa Senators forward Shane Pinto with a stunning 41-game suspension, literally half of the regular season, after an investigation into gambling-related activities revealed that he had broken League guidelines. 

During a recent appearance on the "Empty Netters" podcast, Pinto revealed some major details behind what caused him to be hit with the suspension and why he didn't appeal. 

"I had my buddies - because I was in Canada - just place bets for me in America," he explained. "I wasn't a Canadian citizen so I couldn't really use a Canadian sportsbook. ... That's proxy betting, so that's obviously a big no-no. It was an illegal act so, obviously, it was a pretty big deal.

"So that's why we didn't want to fight (the suspension) and we just kinda accepted it."

He would ultimately appear in 41 games for the Senators in 2023-24, scoring nine goals with 18 assists after returning to the ice in January.

"I just did my best with the hand I got dealt with," Pinto said. "Obviously it was a little bit my fault, so I'm not gonna like, (ask for) pity over it. I thought I did a good job of responding from it."

He added: "I'm glad it's over, but I learned a lot from it. Thank god it's all behind me."

Naturally, Pinto feels badly for not having been able to hit the ice with the rest of his teammates at the beginning of the season, which saw Ottawa slide in the standings en route to what would be their 7th consecutive season without a Stanley Cup Playoff appearance.

"I let down the boys, that's just what it was," he said. "That was the worst part about it. We had a tough start (to the year) - not saying it was a big deal that I wasn't there - but, still, it was a big distraction. I never wanted to be like that towards the fellas."

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