Scott Pionk Key to Turnaround for Minnesota Wilderness

For the first time in over two decades, Pionk is coaching a junior hockey team as he has joined the staff of the Minnesota Wilderness.

CLOQUET, Minn. – The playoffs are right around the corner for the Minnesota Wilderness. And one of the biggest reasons for their stellar play as of late has been a midseason addition to their coaching staff. And it’s a name the hockey community is very familiar with.

For the first time in over two decades, Scott Pionk is coaching a junior hockey team as he has joined the staff of the Minnesota Wilderness. He’s spent the past two seasons coaching Hermantown’s fall elite league, but he says he loves helping out in juniors.

“These guys have been at it since August so you know the amount of work that they put into it. And it’s a long hard grind. They’re trying to get to the collegiate level and they’ve got a lot of work in front of them. I appreciate their efforts,” said Pionk.

Pionk had shoulder surgery back in December and was looking for something to do. So he got a hold of Wilderness head coach and general manager Dave Boitz.

“Actually had some other people in mind that could help him. They were interested. I asked him if I could help him and he said yes. I was very excited that he said yes. I can’t thank him enough. It’s been a blast,” Pionk said.

“He’s been working with our D. He’s done a terrific job. One of the things that’s helped us is getting those guys playing better defensively and just being better all-around. He’s been a great asset for us,” said Boitz.

And the team’s play in the d-zone is a big reason why the Wilderness are one of the top teams in the NAHL going into the final weekend of the regular season.

“Trying to win 6-5 every night is probably not going to be real sustainable. And we’ve been really good defensively the last couple weeks and that’s fun to watch and buy in to that,” Pionk said.

So what keeps Pionk staying on the ice?

“The winter’s so long. It’s still snowing out. I told the guys that. I said ‘look, as long as the weather is going to be the way it is, let’s keep playing hockey,” said Pionk.

The Wilderness will wrap up their season with a home and home series this weekend against the Chippewa Steel. A win or Janesville lost will send the team to the Robertson Cup playoffs, which begin next week.