Neal Pionk made his NHL debut on February 9, 2018 and played 18:44 in a victory against the Calgary Flames. At the time, the New York Rangers didn’t know what to expect of the 22-year-old defenseman. Pionk had been with the Hartford Wolf Pack prior to his recall in his first pro season after signing as a free agent from the University of Minnesota-Duluth.
Hearing NYR will sign Min-Duluth free agent D Neal Pionk. That's a coup for them, was a lot of interest.
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) May 1, 2017
He stood out a bit during the preseason, scoring a highlight reel goal, but ultimately started the season with the Wolf Pack.