Ilya Protas looked taller than his listed 6-foot-5 in Hershey. And indeed, the talented Washington Capitals’ prospect has grown more over the last year.
As first reported by NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti, Ilya is listed on the Capitals’ training camp roster an inch taller at 6-foot-6 — the same height as his older brother Aliaksei.
While Ilya is as tall as Aliaksei, he potentially has more room to grow. Big Pro weighs in at 247 pounds while Little Pro is 29 pounds lighter at 218. However, Ilya added 17 pounds to his frame from last year — a massive amount of muscle.
The success of the Protas brothers could have a big impact on how good the Capitals are in the future. Aliaksei has already “arrived” after posting a career-best season during the 2024-25 campaign. Big Pro recorded 66 points (30g, 36a) in 76 games and scored the third-most goals on the Capitals, 30, trailing only Alex Ovechkin (44) and Tom Wilson (33). In the OHL as an 18-year-old, Little Pro exploded for 124 points (50g, 74a) in 61 games with the Windsor Spitfires — good for second-most in the league.
Both Protas brothers trained together in Belarus over the offseason — the same as the year before.
“(I focused on) what my coach told me to do — it was my brother,” Ilya said at Capitals Rookie Camp. “So what he wanted me to do, I did.
“Yeah, sometimes (he’s demanding),” Ilya added, “but it doesn’t go great. We always — being with each other at the practices — kind of yell. He yells more at me, though.”
While the Protas brothers are imposing, they are not the tallest players at camp. Latvian forward Eriks Mateiko, who starred at the 2025 World Junior Championship, is also listed at 6-foot-6 after growing last season. The tallest player at camp is forward Miroslav Satan, Jr., who grew an inch and is now 6-foot-8. Satan will likely play for the OHL’s Saginaw Spirit this season.
Alex Ovechkin is listed on the Capitals’ training camp roster at 6-foot-3 and 238 pounds.
Capitals training camp roster with heights and weights
