ANALYSIS: Winnipeg Jets Neal Pionk marks 500th NHL game – Winnipeg [Video]

Winnipeg Jets defenceman Neal Pionk played in his 500th NHL game Tuesday night in San Jose. In addition to the milestone already making for a memorable evening, it was likely more complete for two reasons.

First — and a priority in the business of hockey — his team won.

And second, but more sentimentally, was that his mother, Karen, along with many other players’ moms on the team’s female guest, trip was in attendance to see it, just like she was at his first game eight years ago when he was a member of the New York Rangers.

But amid all of the specialties to the game and the season that Pionk is producing to this stage, one wonders how many more games he’ll play as a Jet after this – his sixth year with Winnipeg.

At 29 years old, Pionk becomes an unrestricted free agent at the end of this campaign – and on the open market, he would …