Capitals earn dividends on youth hockey investment

Joe Snively cheered for the Washington Capitals growing up and played his youth hockey at their practice facility as part of the Little Caps program run with help from the team.

Soon, he could be playing for the big Capitals. Snively signed a two-year, entrylevel deal with his hometown team for next season.

The 23-year-old college free agent who grew up in Herndon, Virginia, and played at Yale became the latest local product to sign an NHL contract and is more evidence of the effect the program has had on the growth of youth hockey in the Washington area.

“It’s pretty cool for this area, for fans and for kids,” Ovechkin said. “They see the progress that hockey did in the United States and, obviously, in D.C., and it’s pretty cool.”

Snively joins 2009 Penguins draft pick Nick Petersen, 2010 Canadiens firstrounder Jarred Tinordi and Minnesota’s Sam Anas as Little Caps alumni to sign an NHL contract.

Predators

Forward Austin Watson has earned reinstatement from the NHL as he enters the follow-up phase of the league’s substance abuse program. The league announced that Watson had been returned to available status. His girlfriend, Jenn Guardino, issued a statement in October taking blame for the incident in a gas station’s parking lot that led to Watson’s arrest.

Bruins

David Pastrnak practiced for the first time since injuring his left thumb after a team sponsorship dinner and is expected to return this week. The forward required surgery and missed the past 16 games.