Minnesota Hockey Journal

March 2019

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Q&A M H J ON L I N E . C O M | M A R C H 2 0 1 9 16 MHJ // Two years, two state title games, was it bittersweet to get so close or was the experience worth more than the victory? Pionk // Looking back on it, I look at the pos- itives. Obviously it was hard at the time (to come in second both times). We were only 16- and 17-years-old and we wanted to w in. But looking back on it now and how much fun we had, what an experience it was. It 's something I'll never forget. I think as a 16- or 17-year-old, there's no bigger or better stage than play ing at the Xcel in Minnesota in March. It 's some- thing I'll never forget and something I'll cherish forever. MHJ // So does the Frozen Four experience and that championship run with the University of Minnesota Duluth in 2017 top it—even with the 3-2 narrow loss to Denver in the final? Pionk // Oh boy, now we're splitting hairs. Maybe a little bit. The Frozen Four I think it's just on an even bigger stage. We played at the United Center and the most fun I've ever had in my hockey career was that year. We came so close and our team was so good, to this day it might still be the most fun I've ever had in my life from a hockey perspective. Some of the guys on that team are still some of my best friends and I couldn't have asked for a better experience. with Neal Pionk Photos courtesy of UMD Athletics, Pionk Family "I always thought it was the best skating outside or out on lakes because there were no coaches, no scouts...You just do whatever you wanted. You never got in trouble for trying new moves or being creative." MHJ // You're one of the smaller guys on the ice, how do you use that to your advantage? Pionk // A lot of it's a mindset. You look at (Calgary Flames forward) Johnny Gaudreau, and he's one of the highest scoring players in the league and he's smaller than I am. I think it's a mindset that you have going into it. It doesn't matter how small you are, you can still take the puck away from a bigger guy or maybe outsmart them in a physical position. I think along with that my skating helps me too. I didn't hit a growth spurt—I say that and I'm still under 6-feet—but I didn't hit that until freshman or soph- omore year of high school, so growing up in youth hockey I was even smaller in comparison to what I am now. I learned right away how to think the game, because I had to think my way around the bigger guys. I wasn't necessarily faster then yet, but if I could be a step ahead of them I would be just fine. I'd survive out there, and not only survive but thrive. MHJ // Parting words? Pionk // I just think the Minnesota Hockey model is something I'm proud to have been a part of. The community feel that you get, you really don't get that anywhere in the U.S. You grow up playing with the same kids the entire way up until you're 16, 17, 18 years old. I think that's pretty special to play with guys for that long. You create a bond that you'll never forget. Pionk is a product of Hermantown Hockey.

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