Shane Pinto

Shane Pinto (born November 12, 2000) is an American professional ice hockey forward who is currently playing with the Ottawa Senators in the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted 32nd overall by the Senators, the first pick in the second round of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft.

Playing career
Shane, who originally started his youth sports quest by playing Football with his local town team, the Franklin Square Warriors, involved himself with other sports to enhance his overall sports prowess.

Before playing college hockey, Pinto excelled in his one and only season in the United States Hockey League with both the Lincoln Stars and Tri-City Storm, putting up excellent stats relative to players his own age in the United States Hockey League. Pinto was named to the USHL all-rookie team in 2019 after leading all first-year players with 59 points in 59 games. He was also a member of the gold-medal winning American team at the World Junior A Challenge.

Pinto committed to playing the 2019–20 season with the North Dakota Fighting Hawks and was considered the top recruit for that year's incoming freshman class.

During his first development camp with the Ottawa Senators, Pinto turned some heads and impressed both fans and scouts with his play. While he is unlikely to receive an entry-level contract before the 2019–20 NHL season, Pinto's size and skill set make him a good fit as a depth centre for the Ottawa Senators moving forward.

After completing his sophomore season with the Fighting Hawks, Pinto concluded his collegiate career by signing a three-year, entry-level contract with the Ottawa Senators on April 1, 2021. Pinto made his NHL debut late in the 2021 season and scored his first goal on May 5, 2021 against the Montreal Canadiens.

International play
Pinto was named to the United States men's national junior ice hockey team for the 2020 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. Pinto enjoyed early success for the team, being named the player of the game for the opening game of the tournament against Canada men's national junior ice hockey team after scoring two goals and netting an assist.