Centre Shane Pinto will make his season debut on Sunday for the Senators, two days after signing a contract that marked the end of his suspension for gambling.
Head coach Jacques Martin confirmed Pinto’s return to the Ottawa lineup on Sunday morning, ahead of his team’s early afternoon game in Philadelphia, saying Ridly Greig would shift to the wing to accommodate the change.
“We’ll start that way and see how it goes,” said Martin. “I think (Josh) Norris can play on the wing as well. So we’ve got some flexibility there.”
When asked about what Pinto should do, Martin replied: “He’s gotta keep his game simple and try and adjust on the fly to the pace of the game.”
Pinto, now 23, was banned 41 games — half the season — back in October after an investigation found he violated the league’s sports gambling policy. Neither he nor the league would reveal exactly what he did to draw the suspension other than to say Pinto did not bet on hockey.
Pinto was a restricted free agent when the suspension was handed down, meaning the Senators owned his rights but he was unsigned. He signed a pro-rated deal for a league minimum of $775,000.
— With files from The Associated Press
