Legacy of slain Toronto cop lives on in hearts of Halton hockey community

The Toronto police officer killed in a high-risk raid Thursday is being remembered as a major force in the hockey community in Oakville and Burlington.

Marc Pinizzotto was also a well-respected hockey instructor in Oakville, where he taught little kids the game.

CHCH News spoke with the officer’s family, after Pinizzotto’s mother posted a touching tribute to her son on social media.

She shared a photo of her three sons in better times, offering a glimpse of the immense pain her family struggles with.

“His passing echoes deep inside us, our loving family is shattered as we search for words,” Linda said. “We struggle to find sleep and solace in the darkness as our grief lingers, it is impossible.”

She wrote a touching tribute to her son Pinizzotto on Facebook, which read, “Our Marc was a dedicated ETF (Emergency Task Force) Police ‍Officer, who worked relentlessly, determined to safeguard us around the clock. Marc is our beacon of hope, guiding us with his message to bring an end to violence.”

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Pinizzotto was killed Thursday morning when Ontario’s Police Watchdog says a 19-year-old shot him, when he and his Toronto Police ETF Team served a search warrant at an apartment in North York.

“I’m not sure what more to say,” said Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw. “There’s a very heavy sorrow.”

The Oakville Rangers Hockey Club is remembering the husband and father of twins with a tribute of their own, which reads, “Marc’s legacy will live on in the countless young lives he helped shape, the relationships he built, and the example he set every day. He will be profoundly missed and forever remembered as an important part of the Oakville Rangers family.”

The club says he and his two brothers, Jason and Steve, were hockey royalty in the Mississauga-Oakville-Burlington area growing up, and for the last ten years, they’ve taught young players, aged 4 to 9, through their P3 Hockey Academy.

The club says hundreds of kids every year benefited from Pinizzotto and his brother’s love of the game, a legacy that will live on past his tragic death.

He also coached and helped with his son’s team.

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Pinizzotto’s bio on the club’s site says he played Junior B in Stoney Creek, and four seasons of Junior B with the Oakville Blades.

He then played professionally in Germany in 2007-2008, before returning to Canada to start his policing career.

His former team, the TecArt Black Dragons Erfurt, shared an online tribute which said, “We were deeply saddened to learn of the death of our former player…Even though his time with the Black Dragons was short, he will forever remain a part of our club’s history.”

Pinizzotto was also a player in the Ontario Junior Hockey League — the league said his passing is a profound loss for the entire hockey world.

The 19-year-old who police say killed Pinizzotto is named Nicholas Bennett.

He was shot and is in critical condition in hospital, after another member of Pinizzotto’s team returned fire after Pinizzotto was shot.

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