The Washington Capitals announced Wednesday that they have loaned Ilya Protas, Ivan Miroshnichenko, and Clay Stevenson to the Hershey Bears.
All three players dressed for Washington’s season finale on Tuesday against the Columbus Blue Jackets, now returning to Hershey as the Bears look to secure a playoff spot.
Hershey will play the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Wednesday night. Per the AHL, they can clinch a playoff spot with either a win and a Lehigh Valley Phantoms loss to the Springfield Thunderbirds, or with a overtime loss to the Penguins and a regulation loss for Lehigh Valley.
Protas has impressed since making his NHL debut on April 8, scoring four points (1g, 3a) in four games. His best performance so far came in a three-point night against the Pittsburgh Penguins on April 11 that saw him score his first NHL goal and assist on two others, combining with brother Aliaksei on both plays.
Ilya skated between Aliaksei and Tom Wilson in one of the biggest lines in the NHL this season, clocking in at 700 pounds with an average height over 6’5”.
At the AHL level, Protas leads the both the Bears and all rookies league-wide with 62 points (28g, 34a) in 66 games.
Miroshnichenko re-joined the Capitals at the trade deadline, playing nine of 19 games down the stretch, and ended his NHL season with a total of three points (2g, 1a) in 13 games. He registered his first multi-goal game against the Utah Mammoth on March 26.
With the Bears, Miroshnichenko has tallied a total of 31 points (12g, 19a) in 38 games.
Stevenson filled in for the injured Charlie Lindgren in the final days of the Capitals’ season. He took the net in a 2-1 win over Columbus on Tuesday, stopping 27 of 28 shots and earning First Star of the Game. He totaled four games for Washington this season, ending the year with a .921 save percentage, a 2.00 goals-against average, and a 3-1-0 record.
Including Wednesday night’s contest, the Bears have three games remaining in their regular-season calendar, ending their schedule with back-to-back games against the Bridgeport Islanders and Rochester Americans at home this weekend.
Here’s the full press release from the Capitals:
Capitals Loan Ivan Miroshnichenko, Ilya Protas and Clay Stevenson to Hershey
Trio returned to Hershey following the conclusion of Washington’s season
ARLINGTON, Va. – The Washington Capitals have loaned forwards Ivan Miroshnichenko and Ilya Protas and goaltender Clay Stevenson to the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League (AHL), senior vice president and general manager Chris Patrick announced today.
Miroshnichenko, 22, recorded three points (2g, 1a) in 13 games with Washington this season. In 38 games with Hershey, Miroshnichenko has recorded 31 points (12g, 19a). The 6’1”, 205-pound forward ranks tied for second on the Bears in power-play goals (4), sixth in points and seventh in goals. In addition, Miroshnichenko ranks third on Hershey in points-per-game (0.82) among skaters with at least two games played.
Protas, 19, made his NHL debut with the Capitals on April 8 at Toronto and recorded four points (1g, 3a) in four games with Washington. On April 13 at Pittsburgh, Protas (1g-2a–3p) scored his first career goal and became the first teenager to have a three-point game with the Capitals since Scott Stevens (1g-2a–3p) on March 1, 1984. In 66 games with Hershey this season, Protas has recorded a team-high 62 points (28g, 34a). The 6’6”, 225-pound forward leads AHL rookies in points and ranks second in goals and tied for third in assists among first-year players. Among all AHL skaters, Protas ranks tied for eighth in goals and points. Protas leads the Bears in goals, points, power-play goals, power-play points (17), shots (141) and plus-minus (+16). On April 4 against Hartford, Protas recorded a career-high six points (1g, 5a), which marked the AHL’s first six-point game since 2019.
Stevenson, 27, stopped 27 of 28 shots against (.964 sv%) to earn his third win of the season on April 14 at Columbus. The 6’5”, 196-pound goaltender posted a 3-1-0 record with a 2.00 goals-against average and a .921 save percentage in four games with Washington this season. Stevenson has also appeared in 34 games with Hershey this season, posting a 16-12-3 record with a 2.64 goals-against average and a .910 save percentage.
