Pionk was signed by the New York Rangers as an undrafted college free agent on May 1, 2017, after his sophomore season at the University of Minnesota Duluth, where he finished fifth among NCAA defensemen in scoring with 34 points (seven goals, 27 assists). That season, the Bulldogs advanced the NCAA championship game before losing to the University of Denver.

He chose to attend UMD after playing two seasons with Sioux City of the United States Hockey League. In 2014-15, he led all USHL defenseman with 48 points (seven goals, 41 assists) in 53 games and won the USHL Defenseman of the Year Award.

In the 2017-18 season, Pionk played 48 games with Hartford of the American Hockey League before being called up by the Rangers on Feb. 8, 2018. He made his NHL debut the following night against the Calgary Flames and scored his first NHL goal on March 24, 2018 against the Buffalo Sabres. He finished with 14 points (one goal, 13 assists) in 28 games with New York.

On April 28, 2018, he was named to Team USA for the 2018 IIHF World Championship. He had three points (two goals, one assist) in 10 games to help USA finish third.

Pionk had 26 points (six goals, 20 assists) in 73 games for the Rangers in 2018-19, then was traded to the Winnipeg Jets with a first-round pick in the 2019 NHL Draft for defenseman Jacob Trouba June 17, 2019.

NOTES & TRANSACTIONS

• USHL First All-Star Team (2015)
• NCHC Second All-Star Team (2017)
• Signed as a free agent by NY Rangers, May 1, 2017.
• Traded to Winnipeg by NY Rangers with a 1st-round pick in 2019 NHL Draft for Jacob Trouba, June 17, 2019.