Shane Pinto was born and raised in Franklin Square, NY. Athleticism runs in the Pinto family, as he gained inspiration from his father who played baseball, while both his mother and sister played softball. Pinto’s journey as a hockey player differs from others because he did not commit to making hockey his main sport until he was 14 years old, as football and baseball were prioritized more.
As he continued to develop his game, Shane Pinto gained interest from the USHL and moved from South Kent to the Lincoln Stars of the USHL for the 2018-19 season. Pinto did not disappoint, because he put up a jaw-dropping statline of 59 points in 59 games, leading all rookies. As a result, he was named to the USHL All-Rookie Team.
From Lincoln, Shane Pinto went on to play college hockey for the North Dakota Fighting Hawks. He racked up all the awards, earning a spot on the NCHC All- Rookie Team for leading all rookies with 16 goals. Pinto also studied hard, resulting in him winning a spot on the NCHC All-Academic Team twice. During his sophomore year, Shane Pinto took off and became a bona fide NHL prospect. He was unanimously named NCHC Player of the Year, and he was chosen as the NCHC’s Defensive Forward of the Year and Forward of the Year.
After being drafted in the 2nd round of the 2019 NHL Draft by the Ottawa Senators (34th overall), Pinto finally signed his entry level contract after playing two seasons at North Dakota. Following the break from sports due to COVID-19, he made his NHL debut in 2021, scoring his first career goal against the Montreal Canadiens. His best season with the Senators was the 2022-23 season where he scored 20 goals and had 15 assists in 82 games, winning the NHL’s Rookie of the Month in October of 2022.
Recently, Shane decided to take his talents to Czechia in May to play for Team USA at the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Championships, joining fellow South Kent alumnus Joel Farabee.