Patrick McNally, a name well-known in hockey circles, boasts a diverse and extensive career spanning North America and Europe. From being a highly-touted prospect to a seasoned professional, McNally's journey is filled with challenges, achievements, and a relentless pursuit of his passion for the game.
Early Career and NHL Draft
McNally was drafted by the Vancouver Canucks in 2010, what seems like eons ago. A 2010 NHL Draft pick of Vancouver after dominating the prep school ranks, McNally was a huge recruit for the Crimson. He was one of the most highly-touted players in New England prep and high school hockey of his era, and Harvard landing him was a big deal.
Patrick McNally 2011-2012 Highlights
Collegiate Career at Harvard University
He suited up for Harvard University from 2011 to 2015 and collected many accolades during his time with the Ivy League school, both for the team’s accomplishments and his own play. In his freshman year, 2012, he was named to the ECAC Third All-Star Team and All-Rookie Team. In his senior year, 2015, Harvard won the ECAC Championship, and McNally was named to the ECAC All-Tournament Team, ECAC Second All-Star Team, and All-Ivy League Second Team.
The details of what happened with that episode at Harvard remain somewhat controversial to this day, all stemming from a take-home exam in a freshman government course. But the bottom line resulted in numerous suspensions that sent McNally, and numerous others including three hockey teammates, packing in the middle of the season. Notwithstanding the merits of the case, it would've made perfect sense for McNally to pack up and never return. Instead, he returned. "I realized the reason I went to Harvard, and I always used hockey as a tool for academics and knew Harvard was a great school," McNally said. "To leave would be throwing away a chance to get a diploma. And I wasn't ready to do that. I talked about it with my family and my friends and I knew that if I worked out and stayed in shape and skated hard, that I'd be able to come back.
Read also: Features of Custom Hockey Gloves
The reward for that decision - from a hockey-playing standpoint - was a chance to lead a rebirth for the Crimson. "I'm not even sure what I'm allowed to say and not say," McNally said. "But it's something that happened, and something we had to get through. This season shaped up to be one that was worth sticking around for. And that become even more apparent when head coach Ted Donato brought in former Holy Cross coach Paul Pearl to be his assistant.
"My best friend, Matt Vidal, (Holy Cross') captain, I grew up with him," McNally said. "He told me about (Pearl), he said we were getting a great coach. "The stuff he was showing us, it was good, and we knew we had to soak it all in," McNally said. "He's a calming presence on the bench, which is always nice to have, and a good Xs and Os guy. That success meant being No. 1 in the Pairwise at one point this season.
Somehow, McNally found a way to come back, just as the rest of the lineup got healthy too. "The biggest thing is, I took it one day at a time I didn't let it overwhelm me," Patrick said. "Even if I wasn't 100 percent, I kept that out of my mind and played as hard as I could play, and tried to play my game.
In a season filled with injuries to key players, just when the team was getting healthy, it seemed to lose perhaps the most key of them all. It seemed McNally's college career was over. You can tell, watching him play, that he is not skating with the same power and fluidity that he once was. "I think I maybe played a little more restrained," McNally said, "which maybe made Coach Donato a little more happy - sometimes he doesn't like how much I'm jumping around. Instead he's been relying on guts and guile, and just enough skill to shine through. He's overcome it just like he overcame his extended absence from school.
Professional Career
Known for his scoring abilities, McNally has scored 20 goals and 41 assists (61 points) in 100 ECHL games. McNally, a 2010 fourth-round NHL draft pick of the Vancouver Canucks, has played for eight teams in his six-year professional career. He spent parts of three seasons with teams in Europe.
Read also: The story of Craig Needham
AHL and ECHL
From 2015 to 2017, he played for the San Jose Barracuda of the AHL before moving to the Worcester Railers in 2017-18. After playing 29 games in Worcester alongside Royals defenseman Kyle McKenzie, McNally signed with Leksands IF of HockeyAllsvenskan, the second-highest division of Swedish Hockey.
European Hockey
McNally moved to Germany for the 2018-19 season to play 52 games for Eispiraten Crimmitschau in DEL2, the second division of German Hockey, and then moved to Slovakia to play for MAC Újbuda and HK Nitra in 2019-20.
Return to North America and the Reading Royals
In 2020-21, he played for the Orlando Solar Bears and Nailers and recorded 8 goals and 29 assists (37 points) in 71 games on the blueline. After the Nailers’ 2020-21 season ended, his rights were retained by the team. However, he never signed a contract with Wheeling leading up to the trade.
The Reading Royals, proud affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers, announced Wednesday they have traded future considerations to the Wheeling Nailers for the rights to defenseman Patrick McNally. McNally signed with the Royals Tuesday night. At 29 years old, he is currently the oldest Royals player.
Reading Royals season, flex memberships and group tickets are available for the 2021-22 season by visiting the Royals’ box office at Santander Arena or by calling 610-898-7825.
Read also: Inside Aaron Ness's Career
The Royals’ player to be announced in the deal between the teams will be named in the future.
About the Royals
The Reading Royals, proud affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers and Lehigh Valley Phantoms, are entering their 20th season in the ECHL. They won their first Kelly Cup championship in 2013 and have clinched playoff berths in 10 of the previous 11 seasons. They are four-time division champions.
| League | Teams | Years |
|---|---|---|
| AHL | San Jose Barracuda, Worcester Railers | 2015-2018 |
| ECHL | Orlando Solar Bears, Wheeling Nailers, Reading Royals | 2020-Present |
| Europe (Sweden, Germany, Slovakia) | Leksands IF, Eispiraten Crimmitschau, MAC Újbuda, HK Nitra | 2018-2020 |