"I had some fun things I had to do, some awkward things I had to do, but overall, it was pretty fun."
Ottawa Senators centre Shane Pinto had a chance to show off his fun side last week. Spoiler: there's no side of Shane Pinto that isn't fun.
Pinto's trip to Vegas last week (cue the suspension jokes) was part of the NHL's North American Player Media Tour and actually looked like a bit of a grind. Pinto was pulled from one interview to the next, gear on, gear off, where he indulged all kinds of requests, from serious to goofy.
There was mini-sticks, mini-putt, games, challenges, say this, sing that. Then there was the non-stop medley of photo and video shoots, on and off the ice. But Pinto took it all in stride, smiling and laughing his way through the whole two-day experience.
"It was good," Pinto said. "I had some fun things I had to do, some awkward things I had to do, but overall, it was pretty fun."
The Senators digital team did a great job of putting all the highlights together, embedded below for your viewing pleasure.
There had to be moments, say, while taking waist-high passes from Colby Armstrong, where Pinto had to be quietly asking himself, "I'm missing my team's annual golf tournament for THIS?" But that's not even remotely his style.
Pinto is now back in Ottawa, escorted by a powerful moustache, and ready for the start of training camp at the CTC this week. He's looking forward to normal preparations and a full 82 games.
In 2023-24, as most will recall, Pinto missed all of camp, preseason, and the first 41 games due to a mix of RFA contract talks and then the suspension. Everyone else was in mid-season form when he finally came back in January, so it probably felt like jumping onto a moving train.
Still, the 23-year-old managed 27 points in 41 games (a 54-point pace) and hopes to build on that this year after a full camp (and no distractions).
Overall, it's been a fine summer for Pinto. One of the highlights was going out east to visit Drake Batherson for a few days, taking part in the all-star summer skate with Sidney Crosby, Nate MacKinnon, and Brad Marchand, among others.
Pinto also signed his first set-for-life NHL contract, agreeing to a two-year extension with a cap hit of $3.75 million per season. It expires at the end of the 2025-26 season, when Pinto will be 25 years old and still an RFA.
While last year was one to forget, this season is already shaping up to be a beauty for Shane Pinto.