"It was an extremely hard decision," Pionk told NYRangers.com in a phone interview. "It's been an absolute dream come true [to play for Minnesota Duluth] … but the decision to leave was based on opportunity. I saw there was an interest with a various number of teams and there was an opportunity for a right-handed defenseman to potentially step up and play."
That opportunity came earlier this month when the Blueshirts inked the 21-year-old blueliner to an entry-level contract.
"I was very excited," he said of signing with New York. "I just remember once I made it official my hands couldn't stop shaking. It was surreal."
Pionk is coming off a season filled with both team and individual success with the Bulldogs. His seven goals and 27 assists for 34 points were all career-highs, and Minnesota Duluth captured the National Collegiate Hockey Conference Championship and advanced to the National Championship game in Chicago.
That success led to an opportunity at the next level for Pionk, who had his pick of teams but ultimately chose New York for several, including the play style of head coach Alain Vigneault and the team's run of recent success.
The 6-foot, 190-pound blueliner said he is a "puck carrying, two-way defenseman" that can "provide an offensive side to my game that can help the [Rangers]."
The Hermantown, Minn.-native said he looked up to Devils and Red Wings defenseman Brian Rafalski as a young hockey player due to their similar body types.
"When I was growing up, I didn't hit my growth spurt until high school," Pionk said. "I idolized [Rafalski] and watched him a lot."
Today, Pionk said he looks to Nashville's Ryan Ellis as a player he likes to replicate because "he's a smaller right-handed defenseman but he's not that small, which characterizes me well."