Washington Capitals prospect Ilya Protas did not dress for the Hershey Bears against the Belleville Senators on Sunday night. The Bears are wrapping up a three-in-three after beating the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Friday and then losing to the Senators on Saturday.
“He’ll be fine, it’s more precaution sitting him out,” head coach Derek King told Hershey’s Zack Fisch.
Protas suffered a lower-body injury against the Senators in Saturday’s 6-3 defeat. He was one of seven Bears players listed on the team’s injury report before Sunday’s puck drop.
Unavailable for the Bears today:
2 Allen (upper body)*
11 Smallman (upper body)*
12 Rybinski (lower body)
13 Mateiko (lower body)*
27 Ness (lower body)
31 Stevenson (lower body)
40 Protas (lower body)* out for season
— Hershey Bears (@TheHersheyBears) March 15, 2026
Two plays in the third period ultimately ended Protas’s night early on Saturday. With 19:20 remaining in the third period, Protas was clipped by a Senators defender as he chipped and chased a puck in the offensive zone along the boards. The hit knocked Protas off balance and sent his left leg crashing into the goal post, pushing the net off its moorings.
On a shift shortly after, Protas exited the game with 16:58 remaining in the third period. After losing a faceoff in the offensive zone, Protas tracked back to defend the middle of the ice in neutral. The Senators’ puck carrier quickly turned to the inside of the ice, forcing Protas to pivot and try to go in the other direction. The rookie center clearly felt something and leaned down to grab at his left knee.
Bears Hockey Nation posted video of both moments.
Before missing Sunday’s action, Protas had played in all 59 games for the Bears this season. Only one other player, fellow rookie and Caps prospect Andrew Cristall, could claim the same feat.
Protas is Hershey’s leading scorer with 50 points (25g, 25a) and tied with Bakersfield’s Quinn Hutson for the AHL lead in rookie scoring. Brett Leason replaced the 2024 third-round pick at center on Hershey’s top line.
The Bears came into Sunday’s game sitting fourth in the AHL’s Atlantic Division with their 27-24-8 record. Hershey must stay within the first six places in the division to qualify for the Calder Cup Playoffs.
