Men's Hockey | 10/4/2010 11:18:44 AM

ROCHESTER, NY – When RIT made the move to Division I in 2005, it was rare to hear about RIT hockey standouts continuing their dream on the ice after wowing the Ritter Arena faithful. Since 2007, 19 Tigers have moved on to play in the professional ranks. These Tigers are living their dream of playing pro hockey, spread out all over the globe, from Quebec, to Italy; Germany to Slovenia; Belgium to Texas.

Steve Pinizzotto (Mississauga, ON/Oakville Blades) was the first Tiger to leave school early, signing a contract with the Washington Capitals in 2007, after his sophomore season. Last season, Pinizzotto played a key role in leading the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League to their second straight Calder Cup Championship. There is a strong possibility that Pinizzotto could become RIT's first player to play in the NHL this season, as he will be competing for a spot on the Washington Capitals roster.

After RIT's amazing run to the Frozen Four last season, interest in Tiger players, upperclassmen, and underclassmen, hit a crescendo. Defenseman Chris Tanev (Toronto, Ontario/), the 2010 Atlantic Hockey Association Rookie of the Year, signed a deal with the Vancouver Canucks in June. Jared DeMichiel (Avon, CT/) and Dan Ringwald (Oakville, Ontario/), the 2010 AHA Goaltender and Defenseman of the Year, respectively each signed American Hockey League deals. DeMichiel signed with Hershey, while Ringwald inked a deal with the Hartford Wolf Pack. Fellow 2010 graduates Stevan Matic (Burnaby, British Columbia/), and Alan Mazur (Burnaby, British Columbia/) signed East Coach Hockey League contracts, while Tyler Mazzei (Kelowna, British Columbia/) is playing in the Netherlands.

Current juniors Cameron Burt (Detroit, MI/) and Tyler Brenner (Linwood, Ontario/) attended prospect camps over the summer, with Burt playing in Washington and Brenner joining the Boston Bruins. Both players have received rave reviews from pro scouts.

Scouts from several NHL teams were regular visitors to Ritter Arena last season, and should be even more prevalent this season, with another group of strong newcomers brought in by the coaching staff. RIT also returns 17 players from last season's history making squad.

“Going to the Frozen Four certainly helped, since it brought so much more attention to our program and our university as a whole,” said RIT Head Coach Wayne Wilson, now in his 12th season. “We went to the Frozen Four because we have good players, and pro scouts noticed that. You had scouts from all 30 NHL teams in attendance, and we have received calls from several general managers and scouts about our players.”

Several alums, such as 2008 Hobey Baker Finalist @Simon Lambert#, Justin Hofstetter (Bright, Ontario/Cambridge Winterhawks), Matt Crowell (Kelowna, British Columbia/Williams Lake Timberwolves), and Stephen Burns (Newmarket, ON/Newmarket Hurricanes) currently play in Europe. Numerous players play in the ECHL, trying to fulfill a lifelong dream.

“It's exciting knowing that their dreams of playing in the NHL and receiving interest from NHL teams is that much more attainable now,” said Wilson, the 2010 Spencer Penrose Award winner as Division I coach of the year. “We've gone from a program where there was very little recognition in the pro ranks to now having guys that have a chance to make a name for themselves, five, six, or even 10 years down the road at the highest level. Our players consider themselves Tigers for life and are have a committed sense of pride in what they accomplished at RIT.”