From The Silky Mitten State: The Confusion of Shane Pinto's Suspension
From The Silky Mitten State: Shane Pinto's Suspension as the latest example of confusing/lackluster NHL leadership
A week and a half ago, the NHL announced it was suspending Shane Pinto for 41 due to "activities related to sports wagering." The league's statement noted that Pinto was not guilty of betting on NHL games and offered little explanation for the particular nature of his misdeed.
The above video is an excerpt from a longer discussion Connor Earegood and I had on the topic in the most recent episode of The Silky Mitten State, the new podcast from THN Detroit.
The crux of our grievance with the NHL's suspension of Pinto is the league's failure to provide any measure of clarity as to his particular offense. Subsequent reporting from The Athletic's Chris Johnston revealed that Pinto's involvement with a third-party "proxy bettor" was the source of the league's concern.
To Connor and myself, it is a tremendous misstep by the league to not provide clarity on his precise offense to set a clear boundary for players moving forward when it comes to what is and isn't acceptable in the brave new world of legalized gambling. That the Ottawa Senators (Pinto's team) wear a gambling sponsor on their helmets is almost too on the nose when it comes to the league's willingness to profit from legalized gambling while continuing to enforce a different set of rules on the players.
Of course, there are legitimate concerns for competitive integrity when it comes to players betting on NHL games (be it their own or others around the league). However, without knowing the specifics of Pinto's case, it feels impossible to judge whether he was punished fairly, harshly, or perhaps even too leniently.
In classic NHL fashion, the league has decided that the best course of action is to provide as little information as possible. That choice feels like poor policy, which is something hockey fans are all too familiar with from the league they follow.
For the entirety of that conversation, check out the tail end of our latest episode: