Snively, a native of Herndon, Va., became the first player in franchise history to play for the team as a native of Virginia and is one of three players from Virginia to score in the NHL. Snively trained at MedStar Capitals Iceplex in Arlington, Va. during his youth and was a participant in Washington's Little Caps program. The region has seen an overall growth in hockey participation of more than 200% since Ovechkin's arrival in 2005, termed "The Ovechkin Effect." The impact on the ice has seen USA Hockey registrations grow over 58% in that same time period (based on pre-pandemic registration data). Specifically, in Washington, D.C. alone, that number has increased more than 184%. The "Ovechkin Effect" has not only impacted the growth on-ice but also off-ice, with more than 750,000 students participating in the Capitals Hockey School program annually within market. Currently there are 40 indoor ice facilities with a total of 53 sheets of ice that are now accompanied by 14 outdoor street hockey facilities that the Capitals have invested in since 2015.
"Joe is a versatile, skilled forward, and we are extremely pleased with his development this season," said MacLellan. "Joe has worked hard and put himself in a position to earn a spot on our team. It is a great testament to him and all the local youth hockey coaches and programming in our area that guided him along through this journey."
Snively, 26, has recorded seven points (4g, 3a) in 12 games with the Capitals this season. Snively scored his first NHL goal in Montreal on Feb. 10, joining Eric Weinrich (Roanoke, Va.) and Scott Lachance (Charlottesville, Va.) as the only Virginia-born players to score in the NHL. In addition, the 5'9", 176-pound forward recorded 38 points (15g, 23a) in 35 games with Hershey this season and leads the team in points.
During the 2020-21 season, Snively recorded 17 points (6g, 11a) in 30 games for the Bears. In 119 career games with Hershey, Snively recorded 86 points (35g, 51a).
Prior to joining Hershey, Snively recorded 36 points (15g, 21a) in 33 games with Yale University in the 2018-19 season and set a collegiate career high with five power play goals. Snively led Yale in points in all four years of his attendance and recorded 139 points (58g, 81a) in 129 career NCAA games. Snively was named as a Hobey Baker Award nominee in the 2018-19 season. In 2017-18, following a 36-point season (19g, 17a), Snively was named to the NCAA All-Ivy League First Team and the NCAA (New England) All-Stars. Additionally, during his freshman year in 2015-16, Snively was named the NCAA Ivy-League Rookie of the Year, to the NCAA (ECAC) All-Rookie Team and was a NCAA All-Ivy League Team honorable mention following a 28-point (10g, 18a) season.
Snively signed with the Capitals as a free agent on March 18, 2019.
