Washington’s Hometown Hero: Joe Snively
Every little hockey player grows up dreaming of playing for their favorite NHL team. Often that team is the closest to their hometown. Every so often, those dreams come true. This year, the Washington Capitals have one of those heartwarming stories in Joe Snively.
Background
Joe Snively grew up in the shadow of Washington, DC in Herndon, Virginia. When he was 13, he played for the Washington Little Caps 13U AAA team, which played out of the Capitals’ practice arena. At 15, he left Virginia to play for the Sioux City Musketeers in the USHL. In his third and final year with the Musketeers, he was an alternate captain and notched 64 points in 55 games.
Snively was clearly no scrub when it came to academics, as he went on to study and play at Yale University. He finished his career at Yale averaging over a point per game over four years, leading the team. His success made him a Hobey Baker candidate and ranked him at 15th in the nation in points. He signed a contract with the Washington Capitals for the following season (19-20).
Hershey
Immediately after leaving Yale, Snively joined the Hershey Bears for the remainder of the 18-19 season. He had 7 points in 9 regular-season games in that stretch. He made his mark in the lineup the following season as well, scoring 24 points in 45 games. The Bears were at the top of the standings and tipped to win the Calder Cup before the pandemic shut everything down.
Last season, Snively had 17 points in 30 games. This year, he’s had a breakout season with Hershey. In 35 games, Joe has scored 38 points.
Washington
Snively made his NHL debut on December 19, 2021 against the LA Kings, where he notched his first NHL point. It was an assist to Connor McMichael’s opening goal of the game. The Capitals eventually fell 3-2 to the Kings.
He had another assist in his second game over a month later against the Dallas Stars. He’s been up and down from Hershey since December and has accumulated 9 games played.
On February 10, Snively replaced Alex Ovechkin on the Capitals’ first line, alongside Evgeny Kuznetsov and Tom Wilson, against the Montreal Canadiens. He scored his first NHL goal on a huge rebound. His second NHL goal came less than an hour later on a 1-on-2 breakout. Snives also recorded an assist to Tom Wilson’s empty netter at the end of the game. He’s only the 3rd Virginia player to record a goal in the NHL; he is also the 8th Capitals rookie to score a goal this season.
As a friend of mine said, Joe Snively is making it difficult for the Capitals to send him back to Hershey. Since his 3 points game, he has scored twice more, against Nashville and Philadelphia.
Final Thoughts
Joe Snively has not had the typical route to the NHL. He was signed as an undrafted free agent, then played his first two seasons of professional hockey during a pandemic. But he’s made the most out of the hand he was dealt. He’s a hard-working winger who doesn’t mind collecting his own rebounds. The Capitals’ scouting team did a fantastic job finding and signing such an underrated player.
The Caps don’t play again until Thursday, and while I hate to see players on the IR, I hope Snively is in the lineup again.
Image via WashingtonHockeyNow.
-Heidi Thomas (@DamselOnDrums)
Feeling tired, unable to focus and low on energy? We got you covered. Go to shockedenergy.com today and get yourself Shocked Energy today! Obtaining maximum energy with healthy ingredients. Use the promo codes “CGS21” or “CGSN” for 10% off your order today.
Tired of soreness and pain slowing you and your workouts down? Change that. Melt stress away anytime, anywhere with the ExoGun. Designed to give you the ultimate recovery utilizing percussive therapy and deep tissue massage, it will change your recovery life FOREVER. Follow this link (Exogun) for 10% off or use code promo code CGS10 at checkout!
