Seeing Joe Snively in Red Wings gear reminds us of his incredible journey from Capitals fan to player
Joe Snively grew up in Herndon, Virginia, and was a childhood fan of the Washington Capitals.
Back in 2018, before he was ever associated with the organization, Snively celebrated the team’s first championship in the streets outside Capital One Arena. “It was great to see them after all those years in the playoffs, to win the Cup,” he said. “It was amazing.”
Growing up, the young hockey star played for the Little Capitals and found mentors like Capitals’ current ice skating coach, Wendy Marco of Cold Rush Hockey, and the team’s former strength and conditioning coach, Mark Nemish. His favorite player was Nicklas Backstrom.
Snively even had the same dentist as Alex Ovechkin as a kid, meeting the then-Capitals megastar during a chance meeting at the dentist’s office when he was in middle school.
As an adult, Snively realized his hockey dream, signing a contract with his hometown team out of Yale and going on to play with the legends he grew up rooting for (he suited up in 17 NHL games with Backstrom). His story is special and what he accomplished in this area is legendary. Which is why it’s jarring, maybe even a little painful for some to see him now wearing red of a different hue.
