Chorney, the son of former NHL defenseman Marc Chorney, was born in Thunder Bay, Ontario, but was raised in Hastings, Minn. He started his journey to the NHL with the renowned hockey program at Shattuck-St. Mary's High School.

After scoring 12 goals and 56 points in 74 games his junior season, Chorney committed to the University of North Dakota, where his father also played. He was selected by the Edmonton Oilers in the second round (No. 36) of the 2005 NHL Draft, then headed for North Dakota, where he had a strong NCAA career.

North Dakota reached the Frozen Four each of Chorney's three seasons. He received Second Team All-American honors as a sophomore and finished his college career with 14 goals and 73 points in 126 games.

Chorney helped the United States win a gold medal at the 2005 Under-18 World Championship. He also played in two World Junior Championships, serving as captain in 2007 on the way to a bronze medal.

Chorney signed an entry-level contract with Edmonton prior to the 2008-09 season, which he spent primarily with Springfield in the American Hockey League. He played two games with the Oilers that season, making his NHL debut April 10, 2009.

A mobile, puck-moving defenseman, Chorney appeared in 42 games with the Oilers in 2009-10, but had a hard time cracking the Edmonton roster regularly. Eventually he signed with the St. Louis Blues as a free agent on July 2, 2012, but spent the next two seasons entirely in the American Hockey League.

He signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins - one of two NHL teams his father played for - on July 1, 2014, but spent most of the 2014-15 season in the AHL. He did appear in seven regular-season games with the Penguins and five in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Chorney signed a one-year contract with the Washington Capitals on July 1, 2015, and became a regular in the lineup, signing a two-year contract extension on Feb. 19, 2016.