Home / News / Aliaksei Protas scored four goals in his first 14 games with Dinamo Minsk. He ranks second in KHL goals among under-20 players.

Aliaksei Protas scored four goals in his first 14 games with Dinamo Minsk. He ranks second in KHL goals among under-20 players.

By Ian Oland

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October 16, 2020 7:52 pm

Aliaksei Protas is making the most of his August loan to the KHL.

The Capitals’ 2019 third-round pick has scored four goals in his first 14 games with Dinamo Minsk and is among the top scorers in the KHL amongst under 20-year-old players.

The 6’6”, 210-pound center is coming off a 2019-20 season that saw him tally 80 points (31g, 49a) in 58 junior hockey games with the Prince Albert Raiders (WHL). While he’s not producing nearly as prolifically as before, his game has translated to a men’s league that features a bigger rink and some of the most talented players outside the NHL.

First KHL goal- 9/7/20

Protas’s first career KHL goal was scored in his second career game – a 4-3 loss to Alex Alexeyev’s Salavat Yulaev. The Caps prospect, wearing number 21 in powder blue, rifled a shot to the far corner of the net to open the scoring.

Second KHL goal – 9/15/20

Protas scored again three games later. Set up near the crease, Protas found a loose puck and fired it home. The goal gave Dinamo a 3-1 lead over Vityaz. They went on to win 4-2. It would be his first career KHL game-winning goal.

Third KHL Goal – 9/25/20

Protas scored his third goal of the year after finding some open space on the ice, taking a pass and slamming the puck home into an empty net. The goal gave Dinamo a 3-2 lead over Avtomobilist. They went on to win 4-3.

Fourth KHL goal- 10/11/20

The Belarusian center scored his fourth goal of the year Sunday in Dinamo’s 4-3 win over Dinamo Riga. Protas’s centering pass went off a Riga player into the net.

So far, Protas has scored twice on the power play (one of only five players on Dinamo to score a PPG) and is sixth on the team in goals (4).

Protas also currently ranks second overall in goals and fourth in KHL scoring among under-20 players.

Recently, Dinamo Minsk asked Protas if he kept tabs on the stat.

“Not really,” Protas said. “Sometimes, somewhere on the Internet, something may catch your eye. I mainly concentrate on team tasks, I try to fulfill the coaching directive. If you do it, then everything will come. I work on my weak qualities in the game, try to improve them. The result will come.”

Protas will play in the KHL until NHL training camp begins in Washington, the date of which is unknown.

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