"Washington" Believes In Ilya Protas' Success

• 31.08.2026, 11:43

A Belarusian hockey player topped the NHL club's "prospect" rankings.

Alexei Protas’s younger brother, Ilya, has been named the Washington Capitals’ top prospect by NHL.com journalist Tom Gulitti.

In the ranking of the capital club’s prospects, the 20-year-old Belarusian forward finished ahead of Cole Hatson, Andrew Crystal, Linden Lakovic, and Terik Parashchak.

Last season, Ilya Protas played primarily in the AHL for the Hershey Bears. But toward the end of the season, he played four games for Washington, recording four points (1+3) in those games. Moreover, in his debut shift, the 75th overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft took the ice alongside his brother Alexei and “Capitals” captain Alexander Ovechkin.

“Prospect” is a sports term referring to a young, promising player who has not yet secured a spot on a professional team’s main roster but is viewed by the club as a potential future addition.