Photo Credit: Elena Uryadova
In what was no doubt a fantastic week for Shane Pinto ’18, the South Kent School alumnus was named a Hobey Baker Hat Trick finalist and signed a contract with the NHL Ottawa Senators!
A recent article noted that four SKS alumni had been nominated for the 2021 Hobey Baker Award, a truly remarkable honor. Of those four, SKS alumni Shane Pinto and Keith Petruzzelli ’17 made it to the top ten. Shane has now gone on to be named a finalist, as one of the top three, with 38.5{a678ff502054031b5a3f115cd5c5f0e19637a89961d47ff5fee603dda3424ff9} of the total votes going to him.
Director of Hockey Operations and 18U Head Coach Jamie Russell said, “We are so proud of all that Shane has achieved since graduating from South Kent School. Knowing that guys like Shane skated on the ice at Stockdale Arena is a source of pride for our student-athletes. Earlier this year, Shane took some time to join our boys via Zoom to share his experiences at the collegiate level. Firsthand knowledge like this gives our boys valuable insights about the hard work and dedication it takes to earn a top spot in the game, a spot that Shane well deserves.”
As a member of our 18U team, Shane was key to our 2018 USA Hockey National Championship. On graduating, he went on to the University of North Dakota where he has been honored with a number of league awards, including Player of the Year, Forward of the Year, Defensive Forward of the Year, and First Team all-conference, along with many other impressive achievements.
In 2019 Shane, along with three of his fellow SKS alumni, was selected in the NHL Draft. Shane was drafted by the NHL Ottawa Senators in the 2nd round of the 2019 Draft, 32nd overall. The Senators announced on April 2nd, 2021, that Shane had been signed to a three-year contract.
SKS Director of Athletics Owen Finberg shared that, “Shane was a standout student-athlete during his time here at South Kent School, exceptional not only on the ice, but also in the classroom, and as a member of the community. We are all rooting for him to win the Hobey Baker, and look forward to cheering him on as he takes the ice in the NHL!”
Congratulations, Shane! We are thrilled to see you back in a red and black uniform and hope to see you back on the Hillside in the future.