HERSHEY, PA — Three important Washington Capitals’ prospects are making their AHL debuts tonight at Giant Center as the Hershey Bears face off against the Syracuse Crunch for their 2025-26 regular-season opener.
Andrew Cristall will skate on the left wing of the first line with Bears’ veterans Henrik Rybinski and Ethen Frank. Ilya Protas, the younger brother of Aliaksei Protas, will center Ivan Miroshnichenko and Sheldon Rempal on the second line. Eriks Mateiko will also make his debut, skating between Graeme Clarke and Bogdan Trineyev.
Hershey Bears lines
Heading into the evening, Bears’ head coach Derek King toyed with the lines during practice, looking to find veteran presences to skate with the three AHL rookies.
“In a perfect world, especially in the American League, and trying to get these players the best opportunity to play their game, a veteran with two young guys or a young guy with two veterans, that would be helpful,” King told RMNB on Thursday.
Protas will also get to the skate on the Bears’ first power play unit to start the year, manning the front of the net, while Cristall is on the second unit.
Cristall, 20, and Protas, 19, are two of the best prospects in the Capitals’ system, while Matieko put his name on the map during the 2025 World Junior Championship when he scored the game-winning goal for Latvia to upset Team Canada.
“I’m really excited,” Ilya Protas said. “It’s going to be fun. Can’t wait.”
