Shane Pinto, the American professional ice hockey center, was born on November 12, 2000, in Franklin Square, New York, USA.
Shane Pinto’s parents are Catherine Pinto and Frank Pinto. He also has an older sister named Brianna Pinto. While his mother and sister played softball, his father, Frank, was an avid baseball player, and Shane grew up in an athletic family. Despite Frank’s hope for Shane to excel in baseball, Shane chose to pursue hockey. The family had to take out a loan to support Shane’s hockey aspirations.
After the 2019 NHL draft, where Shane was selected by the Senators, Frank and Catherine continued to make loan payments while being employed full-time.
Shane Pinto’s hockey career began when he joined the United States Hockey League (USHL) with the Lincoln Stars. He later joined the Tri-City Storm through trades. In 2019, he was a standout rookie, earning a spot on the USHL all-rookie team and committing to play for the North Dakota Fighting Hawks.
Pinto signed a three-year contract with the Ottawa Senators in April 2021, marking his transition to the NHL. He made his NHL debut during the 2020-21 season and scored his first goal against the Montreal Canadiens.
In the 2021-22 season, Pinto faced injuries but made a full recovery for the 2022-23 season, where he was named the NHL’s Rookie of the Month in October and had a successful season.
However, in 2023, Pinto faced a suspension by the NHL for violating sports gambling policies. He had also represented the United States in the 2020 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, earning recognition as the player of the game in the opening match against Canada.
