Ilya Protas will be the Hershey Bears’ lone representative at this year’s AHL All-Star Classic in Rockford, Illinois. Protas is the first Bears rookie chosen to play in the game since goaltender Clay Stevenson was selected for the festivities in 2024.
Protas, 19, was informed of the news during a recent pregame video session in Hershey’s locker room. After video coach Bill Downey finished game preparation, he announced that there was one last thing to watch: a “public service announcement” from a “Washington correspondent.”
On the screen came Protas’s older brother, Washington Capitals forward Aliaksei Protas, who informed Little Pro and the rest of the Bears of his selection to represent Hershey in Illinois.
“What’s up, bro? Just wanted to reach out and say congrats on being selected to AHL All-Star Game,” the elder Protas said. “I’m so proud of you, we’re so proud of you. Hard work pays off. Obviously, you couldn’t do it without your teammates, so make sure the board is a little heavier today. We’re so proud of you, love you, and congrats again.”
The reveal was met by applause from Protas’s teammates, and the smiling 2024 third-round pick stood up to deliver a speech to the room.
“Fellas, thank you so much,” Protas said. “Wouldn’t even get there without you, without your help, support. Love you, guys. Let’s f***ing go today.”
Protas is one of only two players to have appeared in all 34 of Hershey’s games this season, tallying a team-leading 14 goals and ranking second on the team in overall scoring with 27 points.
Among all AHL rookies, Protas’s 27 points rank fourth, and his 14 goals rank second. From November 14 to November 29, Protas collected eight goals as part of a seven-game goal-scoring streak, which is tied for the longest goal streak in the league this season.
Notably, Ilya’s brother Aliaksei was not an AHL All-Star during his three seasons in Hershey from 2020 through 2023, making Ilya the first Pro Bro to receive the honor. The two train together over the offseason in their native Belarus where Aliaksei serves as Ilya’s coach and trainer.
Full AHL All-Star rosters
Atlantic Division All-Stars
F Denver Barkey, Lehigh Valley Phantoms (1st appearance)
D Tobias Bjornfot, Charlotte Checkers (1st)
F Patrick Brown (capt.), Providence Bruins (1st)
F Tristan Broz, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (1st)
D Frederic Brunet, Providence Bruins (1st)
F Jack Devine, Charlotte Checkers (1st)
G Michael DiPietro, Providence Bruins (2nd)
F Matt Luff, Springfield Thunderbirds (1st)
D Cole McWard, Bridgeport Islanders (1st)
G Sergei Murashov, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (1st)
F Gabe Perreault, Hartford Wolf Pack (1st)
F Ilya Protas, Hershey Bears (1st)
Coach Ryan Mougenel, Providence Bruins (1st)
North Division All-Stars
G Artur Akhtyamov, Toronto Marlies (1st appearance)
D Seamus Casey, Utica Comets (1st)
F Laurent Dauphin, Laval Rocket (1st)
F Luca Del Bel Belluz, Cleveland Monsters (1st)
D Adam Engström, Laval Rocket (1st)
G Jacob Fowler, Laval Rocket (1st)
F Conor Geekie, Syracuse Crunch (1st)
F Konsta Helenius, Rochester Americans (1st)
D Zac Jones, Rochester Americans (1st)
F Arthur Kaliyev, Belleville Senators (1st)
F Jakob Pelletier, Syracuse Crunch (1st)
F Isak Rosén, Rochester Americans (2nd)
Coach Pascal Vincent, Laval Rocket (2nd)
Central Division All-Stars
G Sebastian Cossa, Grand Rapids Griffins (2nd appearance)
D Domenick Fensore, Chicago Wolves (1st)
F Hunter Haight, Iowa Wild (1st)
F Cameron Hughes, Texas Stars (1st)
D Kevin Korchinski, Rockford IceHogs (2nd)
F Nick Lardis, Rockford IceHogs (1st)
F John Leonard, Grand Rapids Griffins (2nd)
G Thomas Milic, Manitoba Moose (1st)
F Bradly Nadeau, Chicago Wolves (1st)
F Justin Robidas, Chicago Wolves (1st)
F Dominik Shine, Grand Rapids Griffins (1st)
D Ryan Ufko, Milwaukee Admirals (1st)
Coach Dan Watson, Grand Rapids Griffins (2nd)
Pacific Division All-Stars
F Filip Bystedt, San Jose Barracuda (1st)
F Jagger Firkus, Coachella Valley Firebirds (1st)
F Matvei Gridin, Calgary Wranglers (1st)
F Quinn Hutson, Bakersfield Condors (1st)
D Tyson Jugnauth, Coachella Valley Firebirds (1st)
D Kirill Kudryavtsev, Abbotsford Canucks (1st)
F Andre Lee, Ontario Reign (1st)
G Carl Lindbom, Henderson Silver Knights (1st)
F Jayson Megna (capt.), Colorado Eagles (1st)
G Isak Posch, Colorado Eagles (1st)
D Dmitri Simashev, Tucson Roadrunners (1st)
F Tim Washe, San Diego Gulls (1st)
Coach Mark Letestu, Colorado Eagles (1st)
Here’s the full press release from the Hershey Bears:
ILYA PROTAS NAMED TO 2026 AHL ALL-STAR CLASSIC
Rookie forward leads Hershey in goals, power-play goals, and plus-minus
(Hershey, PA – January 15, 2026) – The American Hockey League announced today that Hershey Bears rookie forward Ilya Protas has been selected to the 2026 AHL All-Star Classic presented by BMO, set to take place on Feb. 10-11 in Rockford, Illinois. Protas is Hershey’s first rookie to be named to the league’s mid-season event since goaltender Clay Stevenson received the honor during the 2024 event.
Protas, 19, is one of two players to have appeared in all 34 of Hershey’s games this season, tallying a team-leading 14 goals and adding 13 assists to rank second on the team in scoring with 27 points. Protas’ plus-minus of +10 and his five power-play goals also lead the club. Among AHL rookies, Protas’ 27 points are fourth, and his 14 goals rank second. From Nov. 14-29, Protas collected eight goals as part of a seven-game goal-scoring streak, which is tied for the longest goal streak in the league this season.
The native of Vitebsk, Belarus was a third-round selection (75th overall) of Hershey’s National Hockey League affiliate, the Washington Capitals, in the 2024 NHL Draft.
Joining Protas on the Atlantic Division roster are: Bridgeport’s Cole McWard, Charlotte’s Tobias Bjornfot and Jack Devine, Hartford’s Gabe Perreault, Lehigh Valley’s Denver Barkey, Providence’s Patrick Brown (“C”), Frederic Brunet, Michael DiPietro, Springfield’s Matt Luff, as well as Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s Tristan Broz and Sergei Murashov.
The 2026 AHL All-Star Classic presented by BMO includes the AHL All-Star Skills Competition on Tuesday, February 10, followed by the AHL Hall of Fame Induction and Awards Ceremony on Wednesday, February 11 and the 2026 AHL All-Star Challenge that evening. The Skills Competition pits the All-Stars from the two Eastern Conference divisions against those from the two Western Conference divisions in seven skills events. The All-Star Challenge is a round-robin, 3-on-3 tournament among the four divisions to determine the All-Star champions.
