He played 15 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Dallas Stars, Pittsburgh Penguins, Nashville Predators, Vegas Golden Knights, Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, and St. Louis Blues.

[citation needed] Following his rookie season in the OHL, Neal was selected in the second round, 33rd overall, of the 2005 NHL Entry Draft by the Dallas Stars.

Although Neal was returned again to junior following the Stars' 2006 training camp, he was signed by the club to a three-year, entry-level contract in late October 2006.

[4] After turning professional for the 2007–08 season, Neal played with Dallas' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Iowa Stars.

[12] Neal scored his first career Stanley Cup playoff goal on April 20 against the Tampa Bay Lightning in double overtime to give Pittsburgh a 3–1 series lead.

[citation needed] On February 19, 2012, one day after scoring 30 goals for the first time in his career, Neal signed a six-year contract extension with an average annual value of $5 million.

On June 27, 2014, during the 2014 NHL Entry Draft, Neal was traded to the Nashville Predators in exchange for Patric Hörnqvist and Nick Spaling.

[15] Neal had an impressive year in 2015–16, scoring 31 goals and 58 points and setting a new Predators franchise single-season record for plus-minus with +27.

In the playoffs, Neal helped the Golden Knights claim the Western Conference title and secure his second successive appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals.

[19] After leaving Vegas as a free agent, on July 2, 2018, Neal signed a five-year, $28.75 million contract with the Calgary Flames.

He was benched on multiple occasions during the campaign, including being healthy scratched prior to a pivotal game 5 Stanley Cup Playoffs first round matchup against the Colorado Avalanche.

[20] On July 19, 2019, the Flames traded Neal to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for Milan Lucic and a 2020 conditional third-round pick.

[21] Both Neal and Lucic had struggled to live up to the expectations attached to their large salaries on their previous teams and the trade gave both players a chance for a fresh start.

[28] As a free agent over the summer and approaching the 2021–22 season, Neal was invited to attend the St. Louis Blues training camp on a professional tryout contract on September 18, 2021.

[31] As a free agent over the summer and approaching the 2022–23 season, Neal was invited to attend the Columbus Blue Jackets training camp on a professional tryout contract on September 1, 2022.

His physical presence and hard-hitting impressed Canada's coaches, and he was brought back to the team's selection camp in December 2006.