On this day in 2003, Fernando Pisani makes NHL debut with hometown Edmonton Oilers

January 8, 2003 — Local product Fernando Pisani makes his NHL debut with the Edmonton Oilers. 

With forwards Anson Carter and Mike Comrie out with injuries, the Oilers were in need of some reinforcements from their minor-league affiliate. Among the players to get called up was Fernando Pisani, an Edmonton native who the Oilers had selected in the eighth round of the draft seven years earlier.

Pisani led the St. Albert Saints of the AJHL with 40 goals and 103 points in 1995-96, prompting the Oilers to use a late pick on the local product. He spent four seasons after that playing for Providence College between 1996-97 and 1999-00 and then joined the Hamilton Bulldogs, Edmonton’s AHL team.

After scoring 12 goals and 25 points as a rookie in the AHL in 2000-01, Pisani broke out and scored 26 goals and 60 points for the Bulldogs in 2001-02. He continued that strong play in 2002-03 with 17 goals and 32 points through his first 41 games and wound up getting the call to the big-league club.

Pisani scored the overtime winner for the Bulldogs in a win over the St. John’s Maple Leafs and was called up the next morning. He flew across the continent to meet the Oilers in California and made his NHL debut in a win over the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.