“My son is a good soul" - Shane Pinto's family opens up on what they went through as Senators player returns after 41-game gambling suspension

Shane Pinto’s long-awaited return to the Ottawa Senators lineup has finally come to an end. The 23-year-old center returned to the Senators against the Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday and even bagged himself an assist.

Pinto finds himself back on the team sheet after his 41-game exile because he violated the NHL gambling laws. The suspension was the first of its kind in league history.

Shane Pinto’s family was in attendance for his return to the ice, including Shane's mother (Cathy), father (Frank) and grandfather.

Speaking to The Athletic minutes before the game on Sunday afternoon, Cathy was overwhelmed with a mixture of gratitude, anticipation and relief.

She said,

“It’s very emotional. I can’t even put this into words. My son is a good soul. That’s all I want people to know.”

The American center assisted Tim Stutzle’s goal, as the Senators wrapped up an impressive 5-3 win against the Flyers. Reflecting on the game, he said,

“I think the first period I was feeling a little, ‘What was I doing out there?' But as the game went on, I felt good. I’ve been training a lot, so I stayed in shape…It's been a long time coming. It's just good to be back. I got my first game over with, now I can just focus on hockey."

Pinto's father, Frank, too weighed in on the matter as he recalled when he first heard the news,

”It spun everyone around … It was like he (Shane Pinto) was mourning.”

What is next for Shane Pinto?

Sitting at the bottom of the Atlantic Division, the Senators center's return to the starting lineup is a great boost for the team heading into the latter half of the season.

With the assist to Tim Stutzle, Pinto is looking forward to getting his numbers close to that of last season where he finished the regular season with 20 goals and 15 assists.

After ticking off the days in his Franklin Square family home, Shane Pinto is desperately waiting for a good run of games with the next game against the Montreal Canadiens at the Center Bell Arena, Montreal.