Kevin Oklobzija

@kevinoDandC

There was a first for RIT hockey on Wednesday night:

One former Rochester Institute of Technology player faced off against another on the same NHL ice rink.

Right winger Steve Pinizzotto, just called up from the AHL's Oklahoma City Barons, played for the Edmonton Oilers against defenseman Chris Tanev and the Vancouver Canucks at Rexall Place. Vancouver won 5-4.

Tigers coach Wayne Wilson had the proud-father feeling.

"It's pretty cool, to think we had two guys playing against each other," Wilson said. "I would have never envisioned that, not when we were Division III and not at Division I."

Pinizzotto had quite the night, too: He ended up with a "Gordie Howe hat trick." He fought Derek Dorsett just 2:27 into the game, scored his first NHL goal at 4:43 of the second period, and assisted on a goal by Boyd Gordon at 11:43 of the second period.

"A lot of veteran NHL players have never accomplished that," Wilson said.

Pinizzotto, 30, has played only 19 NHL games in his seven pro seasons. He left RIT as a free agent following his sophomore season of 2006-07, when he produced 13 goals, 31 assists and 44 points in 34 games. He also had 76 penalty minutes.

He had two assists in six games with Edmonton last season, and no points in 12 games with the Canucks as Tanev's teammate in the 2012-13 season.

"It's not like he was a first-round pick where he was going to be given multiple chances," Wilson said. "He's what, 30 now? That's a long, hard fight. He still has that passion and that's a credit to him."

Now in his fifth year, Tanev, at 24, is a well-established NHL veteran. He was plucked away from RIT following his freshman season of 2009-10, when the Tigers improbable journey to the Frozen Four provided great exposure and allowed a host of NHL scouts to see Tanev's talents.

He signed with Vancouver as a free agent following the season. He has played 175 NHL games for the Canucks.

"They both have strong beliefs in themselves," Wilson said.

If there was one down side to Pinizzotto's night, he lost his gamble to a loose puck deep in the Canucks zone, and Vancouver sprinted away on a two-on-one fast break to score the winning goal.

"Maybe he's watching our games," Wilson joked.