Shane Pinto remains without a contract with the Ottawa Senators, but the 22-year-old has bigger things to worry about after he was suspended for sports betting related activity on Thursday, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

The NHL made an example out of Pinto, hitting him with a half-year, 41-game ban. It is the first suspension of its kind in league history.

“Critically, the league did not accuse of Pinto of wagering on NHL games, as a memo sent in March 2022 reminded all league and club personnel — including players — that wagering on any NHL game, even where legal, is ‘absolutely prohibited,' and will ‘constitute conduct that is dishonourable, prejudicial to, or against the welfare of the League or the game of hockey' under the NHL’s constitution,” Friedman reported.

It's also being reported on Thursday that the Senators have rescinded all contract offers from Pinto, meaning he may have to sign his qualifying offer to officially begin serving the suspension, per Postmedia's Bruce Garrioch.

It seems that the NHL's investigation into Pinto began in the summer, but Ottawa's front office didn't get wind of it until a few weeks ago.

“If the Pinto suspension doesn’t begin until he signs a contract, the Sens will be in a pickle,” reported Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli. “Typically, teams have to carry the full cap hit of a suspended player. There have been some limited exceptions. Cap space has already been an issue in Ottawa this season.”

It's still a developing situation in the nation's capital, but it's clear that the reason Pinto remained unsigned was due to the investigation.

“Exactly what Pinto did is unknown at this time. But there are situations where leagues have punished players who did not bet on their sport,” wrote Friedman. “The next question is how the Senators will handle the situation. It’s believed that one reason Pinto has not asked for a trade is that he appreciates the organization's secrecy about the investigation.”

Whether Shane Pinto will play another game with the Sens is up in the air, but hockey fans need not expect him back on the ice until 2024.