“I’ve never really dealt with an injury like this before, so I would not really have the knowledge to call it ‘miraculous’ or ‘not miraculous,’” McNally says. “I can’t really put a name to what I’m doing.”

***

McNally entered 2015 on a roll. By the turn of the calendar year, the Glen Head, N.Y., native was leading all NCAA Division I defensemen in points per game on a team that ranked first in every objective measure for ranking college teams—from win percentage to PairWise. He received a national nod as a nominee for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award—hockey’s Heisman—on Jan. 9.

But on Jan. 23 in Ithaca, McNally’s—and the Crimson’s—season changed forever. Less than six minutes into Harvard’s rivalry game at Lynah Rink, McNally’s left skate caught the stick of a Cornell forward behind the play near the Harvard goal. McNally vainly tried to support himself on his right leg, which crumpled underneath him.

Later that week, McNally learned that he would miss the remainder of the regular season.

“I will be out for probably the remainder of the season, but there is a chance that I could be back for the [ECAC Hockey] playoffs,” McNally told The Harvard Crimson on Jan. 30.

With McNally sidelined, Harvard’s performance sagged. The Crimson struggled with other injuries, yet no absence was felt greater than McNally’s. The team’s ability to possess the puck and break out of its zone declined dramatically, and Harvard lacked a consistent scoring threat from the point.

Meanwhile, outside observers were not so sure how serious McNally was about the possibility of returning. His injury seemed too severe, and rumors circulated that he had elected for surgery over rehab.

His return on Friday for Game 1 of the ECAC tournament quarterfinals surprised and intrigued the media at Ingalls. Did he come back too soon? Will he be a liability? Is he crazy?

Behind the scenes, Ted Donato ’91 knew that McNally was ready. The 11th-year coach had entrusted his star defenseman to Harvard’s ace team of trainers, which had successfully returned Blackwell to the lineup in peak form just two weeks earlier.

Under the watchful eye of Harvard trainer Chad Krawiec, McNally completed an intensive regimen of therapy that involved three hours per day of legwork. A week and a half before the quarterfinals, McNally returned to non-contact skates. A weekend out, he watched from the Bright-Landry Hockey Center stands as his team played Brown in the first round of the ECAC tournament, confident that his boys would get him to the next round. On Wednesday, McNally participated in his first full-contact practice.

{shortcode-1728bbcf5d1b558ff4092135075fe8e8310f9d68}

“Our team definitely feeds off his confidence, his character, and his talent,” Donato said in a pre-Lake Placid teleconference Monday. “So getting Pat back, even in a limited health situation, is still a huge bonus to our team.”

In Game 1, McNally quickly dispelled most concerns on the ice. He was a step slow at first on the backcheck and seemed to choose his strides judiciously, yet he grew stronger with each shift. Breaking the puck out of his zone, he had a calming effect on his teammates with his crisp passes and confident puck-handling. And he was unafraid to take risks, driving to the net on multiple occasions.

“I know for me to be effective and for me to have a positive impact out there, I’ve got to kind of play the way I always do,” McNally said on Tuesday. “I just try to...play to my game and just try to help my team out as much as possible.”