The announcement of NHL Thursday was 55 concise words. And in addition to declaring that the Ottawa senators Shane Pinto had been suspended for 41 games for “activities related to sports betting”, it contained no details of the offense.
Very few details were released over the next 24 hours either.
So how is it to stay so calm?
It turns out there’s a very good reason: According to league sources, the sanction was the result of a negotiated settlement and not a formal disciplinary proceeding.
Pinto had the right to ask NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman to hear his case under Article 18-A.1 of the collective agreement and chose not to do so.
This would have been a less predictable path to take since the punishment would be entirely up to Bettman. Among the powers that the commissioner has when evaluating off-ice discipline are the expulsion or suspension of a player for a specified or indefinite period, the cancellation of a contract and/or the imposition of a fine.
Although the CBA grants a player the right to appeal the commissioner’s decision to a neutral arbitrator, the process still remains very unpredictable. That’s especially true in a case like the one involving Pinto, which is the first related to gambling since the NHL issued a March 2022 memo reminding team staff and players of the serious nature of its policies regarding betting inappropriate.
Even as punishing as a 41-game suspension is — it’s one of the longest in league history — there was more certainty for Pinto to accept this settlement than to spin his wheels in NHL justice.
More privacy too.
The settlement included a confidentiality clause, which prevents key figures from discussing details of the case in formal or informal conversations.
Hence this concise announcement.
The rationales for Bettman’s decisions are generally made public. We learned a lot more about why the commissioner chose to uphold a four-game suspension for Calgary Flames defender Rasmus Andersson for a charging infraction this week than for Pinto’s ban because the NHL attached a two-page ruling on Andersson’s appeal to the press release announcing the decision.
There will be no appeal in Pinto’s case since the NHL and NHL Players’ Association both had a seat at the table and a say in the 41-game suspension he received. accepted.
The case is considered closed until any new information emerges.
With that in mind, here’s a look at some of the behind-the-scenes details we were able to glean from the Pinto case.
Many hockey fans don’t know exactly what happened here. There are plenty of rumors and rumors flying around, of course, but everyone from team executives to player agents to fellow NHL players have found themselves scrambling to get more information. information after the news was announced.
The most obvious point of confusion?
The line from the NHL release read: “The League’s investigation found no evidence that Pinto made bets on NHL games. »
Section 14.1 of the CBA states that players cannot bet on NHL games, but no other gambling restrictions are included in this document. Some individual teams may prohibit staff (including players) from betting with specific club betting partners due to language included in those contractual agreements, according to multiple team sources, but beyond that, everything else is fair.
Place bets online at NFL or college football games? Do you stop by a bookmaker during a road trip to Las Vegas to bet on the future World Series? Carry out a Masters pool in the locker room? This is all well and good for NHL players.
The teams know it too, which is why several managers who spoke with Athleticism expressed some frustration with the secrecy surrounding the Pinto case. There’s clearly a lesson to share with their players here, but what exactly is it?
According to multiple sources, here’s a look at what Pinto was involved in:
- He is known to have had ties to a third-party punter, which is prohibited.
- A problem with his account was initially reported by one of the NHL’s betting partners.
- A league investigation that began this summer concluded this week with a negotiated settlement.
Pinto also did not dispute his accusation of guilt, saying in a statement released by the Senators: “I take full responsibility for my actions and look forward to getting back on the ice with my team.” »
The details of the case have been described as “complex” and “nuanced” by those familiar with what happened.
Clearly, the NHL was satisfied with the evidence that Pinto was not betting on NHL games, otherwise we would be talking about a much harsher punishment than the heavy punishment he received.
And unless Pinto decides to divulge more details to a reporter later, we’ll probably never know much more.
So where do we go from here? There is certainly an increased awareness of gambling issues in league circles today.
Jared Maples, the NHL’s senior executive vice president and chief security officer, is currently in the early stages of his annual visits to each club. These 45-minute briefings have always included gaming alongside other discussion points such as drugs and interacting with law enforcement, but will see the topic of gaming become the main focus following the Pinto situation.
Likewise, the new general manager of the NHLPA, Marty Walsh, who spoke to Athleticismby Pierre LeBrun on Pinto’s situation and NHL play Friday, will focus on the issue during his fall tour.
He’s visited six of the league’s 32 teams so far this season and will eventually spend time with them all.
The game was covered extensively during the NHL/NHLPA Player Orientation Program held for rookies in Virginia in early September and will continue to be hammered there due to the ages of players entering the the league.
There is a belief that the younger generation may be more susceptible to gaming-related missteps.
Remember that Pinto is 22 years old and has just completed his first full NHL campaign.
What made the 41-game suspension so unexpected was that Pinto had already been the subject of considerable interest this fall, but for an entirely different reason: He was the team’s only unsigned restricted free agent. NHL.
Nor should his lack of contract be entirely blamed on the gambling investigation, since the Senators were only informed of it last month.
Ultimately, the team didn’t leave itself enough space to sign a player after a 20-goal, 35-point rookie season and failed to create the necessary space through a trade.
Senators now have nearly three more months to resolve this situation.
Pinto doesn’t plan to sign his next contract until his suspension ends on January 21 – he won’t be paid for his time off anyway – and that will once again become a problem. fascinating negotiation when it starts.
The player declined his $874,125 qualifying offer during the offseason, and there’s no reason to believe he’d be eager to accept that figure now. He’s lost half a season of play and salary, and the Senators will have work to do on multiple fronts to keep him on the roster when he’s eligible to return.
(Photo by Shane Pinto: Marc DesRosiers / USA Today)
