He played junior hockey for the Regina Pats from 1921 to 1924. After that he played senior hockey for the Regina Victorias and Fort William. While playing for Fort William, Pettinger signed with the New York Rangers in September, 1927. Before he played in the NHL his rights were traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs and then to the Boston Bruins. It was with the Bruins that Pettinger started his NHL career in 1928-29. In total, Pettinger played in a total of 98 NHL games and scored 7 goals and 12 assists. In 1937-38, Pettinger coached at the University of Western Ontario.