Neil Little was a standout goaltender for Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute from 1990 to 1994. In his senior season, 1993-94, he was a top 10 finalist for the Hobey Baker Award and earned All-American honors. He set the school record for career wins with 58 and was inducted into the RPI Athletic Hall of Fame in 2007.

After college, Little was drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers and played professionally for over a decade. He spent the majority of his career in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Philadelphia Phantoms, where he won two Calder Cups in 1998 and 2005. He played in two NHL games with the Flyers, one each during the 2001-02 and 2003-04 seasons.