ARLINGTON, VA — For the Washington Capitals, Tuesday night’s tilt against the Boston Bruins will be a family affair.
Brothers Aliaksei and Ilya Protas will both suit up for the team’s second preseason contest, hitting the ice as teammates for the first time in their hockey career. Thanks to their five-year age gap, the two never played together in youth hockey: now they’ll get their first chance on the NHL stage.
“It’s something we couldn’t even dream of,” Aliaksei said. “Being on the same team, it’s going to be something special.”
The Capitals traded up to draft the younger Protas this summer, selecting him with the 75th overall pick while a thrilled Aliaksei watched from the audience. After joining the team for Development Camp and Rookie Camp over the offseason, Tuesday night will mark his first preseason game in a Capitals uniform.
“I think it adds to his first NHL preseason game, being able to do it with his big brother right there beside him and help him through it,” head coach Spencer Carbery said.
Ilya told reporters Tuesday morning that having his brother there with him “helps a lot,” but admitted it didn’t entirely erase the pre-game jitters.
“[I’m] a little bit nervous, but excited,” he said.
Just like at the draft, Ilya will take the next step of his professional hockey career with his brother at his side, watching with joy.
“I was so happy,” Aliaksei said of hearing the news they would play on Tuesday. “Especially for Ilya. Because he was waiting on this chance. For sure you want to play your first game. I was happy first of all for him especially, and playing together, like I said, that’s something we couldn’t even dream of. It’s going to be fun.”
Ilya has already spent a season stateside, recording 51 points (14g, 37a) in 61 games for the USHL’s De Moines Buccaneers. He signed an OHL development deal with the Windsor Spitfires and an entry-level deal with the Capitals this summer before arriving at Training Camp.
With two Protases on the roster, the Caps have resorted to nicknames to differentiate the pair, though Ilya’s might undersell the six-foot-five forward.
“Little Pro, Big Pro,” head coach Spencer Carbery explained, “Although they’re both big.”
Ilya told reporters he didn’t mind the moniker, though he offered the alternative of ‘Hammer,’ a nickname coined by Capitals Strength & Conditioning Coach Zack Leddon.
After turning 18 in July, ‘Little Pro’ could continue to grow even taller, as his brother did after his draft year.
“We’ll see,” Aliaksei said with a grin. “I wouldn’t be surprised.”
“I hope not,” Ilya piped up, shaking his head emphatically.
While he survived the Capitals’ first round of cuts Tuesday morning, Ilya’s time in DC may be short. With the Spitfires’ season beginning Wednesday night, the Caps may soon opt to return him to juniors, limiting his ability to play multiple preseason games. Still, Aliaksei’s advice to his younger brother remained simple.
“Just enjoy it,” Ilya recounted. “Work hard and enjoy it. That’s a really special moment for us. Just have fun and enjoy it.
The two train together over the summers, but sharing the ice in the NHL — even for a preseason game — means something else entirely.
“When you put the NHL jersey on, it’s something different,” Aliaksei explained. “And we have to be proud of it and just take care of the chance and have fun.
