Former Washington Capitals forward Joe Snively is taking his professional career overseas for the first time next year. Djurgardens IF of Sweden’s top league, the SHL, announced on Wednesday afternoon that they have signed Snively to a one-year contract for the 2025-26 season.
Snively played his first pro season outside of the Capitals’ organization this past year, recording 47 points (21g, 26a) in 72 games for the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins. The 29-year-old winger has 27 games of NHL experience, all with the Caps, notching 11 career points (6g, 5a).
“This is a player who will make a difference,” Djurgarden’s sporting director Niklas Wikegård said in a press release, as translated via Google Translate. “Joe will help break patterns, change games, and sharpen our offense. We are very happy to have him join us.
“Joe is an offensively skilled player who wants the puck and who looks for the puck. When he is on the ice, he wants to be a decisive factor. He is also a player who has been on winning teams and has won several titles.”
Snively played a significant role in the Hershey Bears’ back-to-back Calder Cup wins in 2023 and 2024, leading the 2023 team in postseason scoring with 15 points (2g, 13a) in 20 games. The Herndon, Virginia native also finished second in scoring on the 2024 team, behind only eventual playoff MVP Hendrix Lapierre (22 points), with 18 points (4g, 14a) in 20 games.
His career-best season came with the Bears during the 2023-24 campaign, recording 59 points (14g, 45a) in 69 games.
Djurgarden has spent the last three seasons in the second tier of Swedish hockey, the HockeyAllsvenskan, before winning promotion to the SHL in a series against AIK. The club says Snively will wear jersey number 7, which he could not wear with the Capitals as the number is retired in honor of defenseman Yvon Labre.
“It feels very exciting to join Djurgarden!” Snively said in the release. “I know it is a club full of history, traditions, and success. I will do my best to contribute to it, and I look forward to playing in front of the best supporters.”
Snively will join a roster featuring plenty of fellow former NHL talent, including Linus Klasen, Marcus Kruger, Jesse Ylonen, Gustav Lindstrom, and Magnus Hellberg. He’ll also play with two highly touted 2025 NHL first-round draft picks, the number three overall selection Anton Frondell of the Chicago Blackhawks and the number 16 overall selection Victor Eklund of the New York Islanders.
The Capitals will have many former players and prospects playing in Sweden next year, as Snively joins the likely Brynas IF contingent, which includes Nicklas Backstrom, Michal Kempny, Christian Djoos, Axel Jonsson-Fjallby, Johan Larsson, and Aron Dahlqvist. Gabriel Carlsson (Farjestad BK) and Milton Gastrin (MoDo Hockey) will also be in their homeland for the season.
