On July 3, 2011, Pinizzotto signed a one-year, two-way deal ($600,000) with the Vancouver Canucks  after receiving contract offers from 9 other NHL teams.
Pinizzotto was slated to fill a 4th line spot with the Canucks right out of training camp.
The Canucks saw him as a Raffi Torres replacement.
His combination of physicality, puck-handling ability and scoring, skating well, finishing checks, going hard to the net and his defensive ability impressed Coach Alain Vigneault.
He recorded 2-assist, 5-hit effort in a preseason home opener against the Calgary Flames and finishing the preseason tied for the highest plus/minus on the team at plus-3 and 5 points in 4 games.
Pinizzotto who made the team out of Training Camp suffered a left shoulder injury on an ill-timed hit on Douglas Murray during their last preseason game against the San Jose Sharks on September 25, 2011.
His shoulder was popped back into place but after being on IR for 6 weeks, he tweaked his shoulder in practice just before a team road trip.
Pinizzotto's injury caused him to miss the entire season.
In his absence Vancouver claimed Dale Weise on waivers.

On July 2, 2012, Pinizzotto was re-signed with the Canucks.
During the 2012 NHL Lockout he was assigned to the Chicago Wolves where he tallied four goals, eight assists and 29 penalty minutes in 24 games.
Pinizzotto is a strong skater, goes hard to the net and has a heavy shot.
His offensive side, strong penalty killing skills and aggressive play attracts attention.

Pinizzotto consistently shows grit and two-way play with a combination of physicality and scoring having 38 goals, 72 assists, 110 points, and 408 penalty minutes in his 234 career AHL games with Chicago and Hershey where he was a strong contributor for their 2009 and 2010 Calder Cup Championship.

Vancouver protected Pinizzotto believing a high degree of probability he would be picked up on waivers so on March 13, 2013, Steve Pinizzotto was headed to Vancouver for an NHL opportunity.
 He was a sought-after commodity when he signed with Vancouver and always attracts a lot of interest for his grit, tenacity and decent skill level.
The Canucks were anxious to get Pinizzotto back into their lineup and bringing a physical presence to the game.

Pinizzotto made his NHL debut on March 14, 2013 against the Nashville Predators after travelling all day and arriving from Chicago just hours before game start.
In his first shift of the game when he sent Nashville's Kevin Klein crashing to the ice with a big hit leading to a fight with the defenceman.
On July 3, 2011, Pinizzotto signed a one-year, two-way deal ($600,000) with the Vancouver Canucks  after receiving contract offers from 9 other NHL teams. Pinizzotto was slated to fill a 4th line spot with the Canucks right out of training camp. The Canucks saw him as a Raffi Torres replacement. His combination of physicality, puck-handling ability and scoring, skating well, finishing checks, going hard to the net and his defensive ability impressed Coach Alain Vigneault. He recorded 2-assist, 5-hit effort in a preseason home opener against the Calgary Flames and finishing the preseason tied for the highest plus/minus on the team at plus-3 and 5 points in 4 games. Pinizzotto who made the team out of Training Camp suffered a left shoulder injury on an ill-timed hit on Douglas Murray during their last preseason game against the San Jose Sharks on September 25, 2011. His shoulder was popped back into place but after being on IR for 6 weeks, he tweaked his shoulder in practice just before a team road trip. Pinizzotto's injury caused him to miss the entire season. In his absence Vancouver claimed Dale Weise on waivers.
On July 2, 2012, Pinizzotto was re-signed with the Canucks. During the 2012 NHL Lockout he was assigned to the Chicago Wolves where he tallied four goals, eight assists and 29 penalty minutes in 24 games. Pinizzotto is a strong skater, goes hard to the net and has a heavy shot. His offensive side, strong penalty killing skills and aggressive play attracts attention.
Pinizzotto consistently shows grit and two-way play with a combination of physicality and scoring having 38 goals, 72 assists, 110 points, and 408 penalty minutes in his 234 career AHL games with Chicago and Hershey where he was a strong contributor for their 2009 and 2010 Calder Cup Championship.
Vancouver protected Pinizzotto believing a high degree of probability he would be picked up on waivers so on March 13, 2013, Steve Pinizzotto was headed to Vancouver for an NHL opportunity.  He was a sought-after commodity when he signed with Vancouver and always attracts a lot of interest for his grit, tenacity and decent skill level. The Canucks were anxious to get Pinizzotto back into their lineup and bringing a physical presence to the game.
Pinizzotto made his NHL debut on March 14, 2013 against the Nashville Predators after travelling all day and arriving from Chicago just hours before game start. In his first shift of the game when he sent Nashville's Kevin Klein crashing to the ice with a big hit leading to a fight with the defenceman.
Steve Pinizzotto