Shane Pinto is convinced the experience will help him down the road.
It just didn't feel that way in the moment.
Already sidelined due to a contract impasse that saw him miss the start of the 2023-24 season, the Ottawa Senators forward was suspended 41 games for "activities relating to sports wagering" by the NHL last October.
Pinto took the punishment and returned to have a strong second half of the campaign, but watching from afar as teammates with big expectations struggled to start the schedule — head coach D.J. Smith was fired in December amid the tailspin — didn't sit well.
"I had to mature a lot," Pinto said of his time away at last week's NHL/NHLPA player media tour in Las Vegas. "It has been a blessing in disguise, in a sense. It taught me a lot about how much I love the game and how much I miss it, and how much of a part of my life it is."
The 23-year-old from Franklin Square, N.Y., declined to get into what exactly led to the punishment handed down by NHL commissioner Gary Bettman when he spoke to a small group of reporters in Sin City, but went into greater detail over the summer on the "Empty Netters" podcast.
Pinto told the hosts his mistake was having friends in the U.S. place online wagers for him while he was in Canada. He said one of the league's industry partners flagged his account, which led to an investigation.
"That's proxy betting, so that's obviously a big no-no," Pinto said on the podcast back in July. "It was, like, an illegal act, so obviously it was a pretty big deal. That's why we didn't want to fight (the ban) and we just kind of accepted it."
Pinto, who according to the league didn't bet on NHL games, said in Vegas last week he wasn't aware he was doing anything wrong.
"I just didn't know any better," he said.
The Senators missed the post-season for a seventh consecutive year in the spring, but know they will have Pinto back at training camp later this week as the group looks to finally make a surge up the standings.
Ottawa's core led by captain Brady Tkachuk, star centre Tim Stutzle, Thomas Chabot and fellow defenceman Jake Sanderson, and supported by veteran winger Claude Giroux, is entering its second year under owner Michael Andlauer and first with new coach Travis Green.
The time for excuses in the nation's capital is over.
"There's been a lot of distractions," Pinto said. "Now we're steady. We have stability. We brought in the right pieces … I think it's going to be a good year, finally. Hopefully we take the next step."
The Senators made a push in that direction when they acquired goaltender Linus Ullmark — the Vezina Trophy winner in 2023 — from the Boston Bruins in June.
The 31-year-old is only signed for this season and could hit unrestricted free agency next summer, but a club that has longed for crease consistency appears to finally have that in the Swede.
Ottawa also has to tighten up in front of whoever puts on the pads after averaging 3.43 goals against in 2023-24, good for 28th overall.
"It's just maturing," said Pinto, who signed a two-year, US$7.5-million extension in July. "We could score as many goals as any other team. It's just coming down to us playing better defensively."
Limited by injuries early in his professional career, Pinto had 20 goals and 35 points in 82 games in 2022-23. Once he returned from the gambling suspension in January, he put up 27 points (nine goals, 18 assists) in 41 contests last season as Ottawa finished 26th in the overall standings.
"There's enough excuses," Pinto said looking ahead. "The fans are sick of it like we are. It's time for us to become men this year … there's enough talking about it."
Pinto doesn't want to talk much more about what forced him to take a seat last fall.
The experience, however, is one he made the most of.
"Built a lot of character," Pinto said. "Had to stay motivated to be ready for when I came back. I proved a lot to myself … but it taught me a lot. Taught me not to take things for granted. It can be taken away from me pretty quickly.
"It was definitely a hidden blessing, and it made my life better."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 16, 2024.
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Joshua Clipperton, The Canadian Press