Steve Pinizzotto watched a fellow Rochester Institute of Technology alumnus score his first NHL goal on Monday night.

That would be Canucks defenceman Chris Tanev, who took 63 games to achieve the lofty feat, putting one off the post with seconds left in overtime in Edmonton.

It was a huge deal on the New York state school’s campus on Tuesday, and just as big for Pinizzotto, who’s with the Canucks’ Chicago Wolves AHL farm club.

“He was actually one of my best buddies when he was here (during the NHL lockout) and I wish nothing but the best for him,” said Pinizzotto over the phone from Chicago.

“He’s just a great person. It couldn’t happen to a better guy. To score your first goal in overtime, I’m pretty happy for him.”

Pinizzotto, who played at RIT for two seasons (2005-06 and 2006-07), but was never a teammate of Tanev (2009-10) with the Tigers, would like nothing better than to follow in his footsteps and become the second player from the school to get into an NHL game.

Due to injury, that’s been on hold for two seasons now, but Pinizzotto — a hard-edged fourth line winger who finishes his checks — is close to being available for selection should the Canucks suffer any damage in their bottom-six forward ranks.

Pinizzotto has been out since Nov. 24, when he suffered a partial tear in his groin. Surgery wasn’t necessary, but he didn’t expect it would keep him out this long.

He’s back practising with the team, but hasn’t been cleared for contact yet.

“I’m pretty close (to playing), it’s within two weeks,” said Pinizzotto. “It’s feeling pretty good. I’m not quite pain-free yet. I’m just getting back to being on the ice and feeling more confident. It’s something you can’t rush.”

The Canucks signed the 6-foot-1, 200-pounder as a free agent in the summer of 2011 as part of an initiative to add some grit after losing to the Bruins in the Stanley Cup final.

It appeared he had an inside track on an NHL job after two preseason games, but in the third his attempted hit on huge San Jose defenceman Douglas Murray ended badly when a tumble into the boards seriously damaged his shoulder. The resulting surgery cost him the whole season.

Vancouver thought enough of Pinizzotto to re-sign him to another one-year, two-way deal ($600,000/$275,000) and he was having a good start to his season (4-6-10 in 17 games, 25 PIMs) when the groin injury struck, negating any chance of attending the Canucks’ brief training camp in January.

Did the year off from playing games contribute to the injury? Maybe, but Pinizzotto says the hockey part of it was feeling good.

“I felt like I was getting comfortable quickly,” he said. “I was playing with some offensive guys and that was helping out. Now, coming off this injury, I feel I’m right up to par with the other guys, too.”

The reality is that Pinizzotto is still on the outside looking in. That’s tough to take for a guy who got as far as the pre-game skate with Washington in March, 2009, before being scratched.

“I feel like I’m one of the unluckiest guys in the sport right now,” he said. “I’m trying to bang down a door that has a deadbolt instead of a regular lock. I guess some things come easier for some guys, but that’s stuff you can’t worry about. If it happens, it happens.”