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Joe Snively becomes third Virginia-born player to ever score an NHL goal

By Ian Oland

 6 Comments

February 10, 2022 8:43 pm

Joe Snively just became the eighth Capitals’ rookie to score their first NHL goal this season, joining Connor McMichael, Aliaksei Protas, Martin Fehervary, Brett Leason, Beck Malenstyn, Garrett Pilon, and Hendrix Lapierre.

The Herdon, Virginia native beat Canadiens’ goaltender Cayden Primeau 5:04 into the first period to register the milestone tally.

Snively replaced Alex Ovechkin on the first line with the Capitals captain out due to COVID protocol.

Snively scored on a rebound off a Justin Schultz shot. Evgeny Kuznetsov made sure to pick up the milestone puck so Snively could keep it forever.

Snively later potted his second career goal in the second period, using a beautiful cutback move to beat defenseman Jeff Petry and score one-on-one.

With the goals, Snively became the third Virginia-born player to ever score in the NHL per Tom Gulitti. The other NHL’ers were Eric Weinrich (Roanoke) and Scott Lachance (Charlottesville).

Snively played youth hockey for the Little Caps growing up and now has become one of a handful of players to score an NHL goal from that alumni including Jeff Halpern and Jarred Tinordi.

Snively has five points (2g, 3a) in his first six games in the NHL.

More from the Capitals:

Herndon, Virginia-native Joe Snively Records Three Points in Capitals’ Win

Forward tallies two goals and one assist after scoring first career NHL goal in the first period

ARLINGTON, Va. – Washington Capitals forward Joe Snively, a native of Herndon, Va., recorded three points (2g, 1a) in the Capitals’ 5-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens tonight. Snively, who scored his first career NHL goal in the first period, is the third Virginia-born player to score an NHL goal, joining Eric Weinrich (Roanoke, Va.) and Scott Lachance (Charlottesville, Va.).

Snively trained at MedStar Capitals Iceplex in Arlington, Va. during his youth and was a participant in Washington’s Little Caps program. Snively signed with the Capitals as a free agent on March 18, 2019.

Snively, 26, recorded an assist in his NHL debut on Dec. 19, 2021 against the Los Angeles Kings and became the first player in franchise history to play for the team as a native of Virginia. Snively has recorded five points (2g, 3a) in six games with the Capitals this season.

The 5’9”, 176-pound forward has recorded 38 points (15g, 23a) in 35 games with Hershey this season and leads the team in points and goals. During the 2020-21 season, Snively recorded 17 points (6g, 11a) in 30 games for the Bears. In 119 career games with Hershey, Snively has 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.

Hockey participation in Washington D.C., Maryland and Virginia has grown 221 percent from the 2003-04 NHL season, Alex Ovechkin’s draft year, through the 2019-20 season, according to USA Hockey registration.

Headline photo: Elizabeth Kong/RMNB

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