Jim Pettie was born October 24, 1953 in Toronto, Ontario. The 10th choice, 142nd overall selection of the Boston Bruins in the 1973 NHL Entry Draft, Pettie is a graduate of the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League's St. Catherines Black Hawks.
The Toronto, Ontario native joined the International Hockey League's Dayton Gems in 1973-74 where he spent three years capturing the 1976 Turner Cup, and earning IHL Second Team All-Star honours, while playing in five games with the North American Hockey League's Binghamton Dusters during the 1975-76 season.
The 1976-77 season marked Pettie's NHL debut in goal for the Boston Bruins, as he played in one game with the Bruins while spending the majority of the season with the American Hockey League's Rochester Americans. For the next three seasons, Pettie split his time with the Bruins and the Americans before joining the AHL's New Haven Nighthawks in 1979-80.
Pettie spent one season with New Haven before joining the Central Hockey League's Birmingham Bulls in 1980-81. Even though he spent the majority of the season with Birmingham, Pettie played in one game with the Eastern Hockey League's Richmond Rifles.
Thoughout his NHL career, Jim Pettie played in 21 games finishing with a (9-7-2) record with a 3.68 GAA.
