The Washington Capitals may soon not be the only team to benefit from having Aliaksei Protas and Ilya Protas on the ice at the same time.
Earlier this week, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) formally recommended that any restrictions on the participation of Belarusian athletes, including teams, “in competitions governed by International Federations (IFs) and international sports event organisers,” be lifted.
The decree comes just over four years after the IOC and other major sporting commissions, including the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), barred both Russia and Belarus from competing in their events. The ban came as a result of Russia, with the help of Belarus, illegally invading Ukraine in February 2022.
“The IOC reaffirms that athletes’ participation in international competition should not be limited by the actions of their governments, including involvement in a war or conflict,” Thursday’s statement reads.
The IOC also cites the successful participation of Belarusian athletes as “Individual Neutral Athletes” in recent events and the upcoming qualification period for the 2028 Olympic Games as reasons for their decision to reverse their prior recommendation. Russian athletes will not yet receive the same endorsement, partly due to anti-doping concerns and other questions surrounding the Russian Olympic Committee.
While the IOC and IIHF are two separate bodies, the latter typically follows the former in making eligibility decisions. Earlier this year, the IIHF decided to extend its ban on Russian and Belarusian teams from its competitions through the 2026-27 season. If that ban holds, the soonest Belarusian hockey players could return to action on their national teams would be late 2027.
The Protas brothers were two of six Belarusian players to play in the NHL this past season. Among all active players from the country, Aliaksei Protas ranks second in career scoring with 171 points (68g, 103a), behind just Calgary Flames forward Yegor Sharangovich (226).
Ilya Protas was one of three Belarusian rookies to play games in the league, joining Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Artyom Levshunov and Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Ilya Solovyov. The Nashville Predators will also add KHL standout and Zhlobin, Belarus native, Vitaly Pinchuk, to their lineup next season.
