Hey hockey fans! Big news in the NHL world! The National Hockey League has suspended Ottawa Senators’ centre, Shane Pinto, for a whopping 41 games. Can you believe it? And you won’t believe why! It’s all because of his involvement in sports wagering. Yep, you heard that right. Pinto got caught up in some betting action related to sports. But hold on, before you jump to conclusions, the NHL made it clear that they found no evidence of Pinto betting on NHL games. So, let’s not get ahead of ourselves, folks.
Now, let’s hear what the league had to say about this whole situation. In a statement released on Thursday afternoon, the NHL said, ‘The NHL considers this matter closed, absent the emergence of new information, and will have no further comment.’ So, they’re basically saying, ‘Case closed, folks!’ Unless something new comes up, they’re not gonna say anything more about it.
Pinto, who is a restricted free agent, was training in Ottawa when all this went down. But he decided to head back home after a few days. The 22-year-old centre had a pretty solid season last year, scoring 20 goals and racking up 35 points in 82 games. Not bad for a rookie season, huh?
The Ottawa Senators also had something to say about the whole situation. They released a statement saying, ‘We were made aware of the National Hockey League investigation into this matter, and additional information was given to us after the league’s investigation was completed yesterday.’ They also added that Pinto is a valued member of their team and that they’ll welcome him back with open arms once the time is right and the league gives the green light.
Pinto himself also issued an apology. He said, ‘I want to apologize to the National Hockey League, the Ottawa Senators, my teammates, the fans, the city of Ottawa, and most importantly, my family. I messed up, and I take full responsibility for my actions. I can’t wait to get back on the ice with my team.’ Well, at least he’s owning up to his mistakes.
Now, here’s an interesting tidbit. The Senators have actually taken back all their previous contract offers to Pinto. Ouch! That’s gotta sting. And according to TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun, Pinto’s suspension is retroactive to the Senators’ first game of the regular season. So, it looks like he won’t be signing with the team until he serves his suspension in January.
Well, folks, that’s the latest scoop on Shane Pinto’s suspension. Let’s hope he learns from his mistakes and comes back stronger than ever. Until then, we’ll just have to wait and see what happens next in this wild NHL saga!