Aliaksei Protas
Protas with Washington Capitals in 2021
Born (2001-01-06) 6 January 2001 (age 23)
Vitebsk, Belarus
Height 6 ft 6 in (198 cm)
Weight 214 lb (97 kg; 15 st 4 lb)
Position Centre
Shoots Left
NHL team
Former teams		 Washington Capitals
Dinamo Minsk
National team  Belarus
NHL Draft 91st overall, 2019
Washington Capitals
Playing career 2020–present

Aliaksei Uladzimiravich Protas (Belarusian: Аляксей Уладзіміравіч Протас, Russian: Алексей Владимирович Протас; born 6 January 2001) is a Belarusian professional ice hockey centre for the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League (NHL). Protas previously played two seasons of major junior for the Prince Albert Raiders of the Western Hockey League (WHL), and was selected 91st overall by the Washington Capitals in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. He made his professional debut in 2020 with Dinamo Minsk of the Kontinental Hockey League. Internationally Protas has played for the Belarusian national junior team at two World Junior Championships.

Playing career

Protas started his career in his hometown of Vitebsk. He moved to Denver, Colorado to play youth hockey for Colorado Evolution for one season before travelling back to Belarus. He spent two seasons with the Belarus U17 team that played in the Vysshaya Liga, the second league in Belarus, before being selected 26th overall by the Prince Albert Raiders in the 2018 CHL Import Draft.[1] He joined the Raiders for the 2018–19 season, and finished with 40 points in 61 games. Heading into the 2019 NHL Entry Draft Protas was the 30th ranked North American skater, and was selected 91st overall by the Washington Capitals.[2] He played for Prince Albert in 2019–20 season, which was ended prematurely due to COVID-19; in 58 games he had 80 points, which placed him ninth in the WHL in scoring and the highest European player.[3]

For the 2020–21 season Protas was loaned to HC Dinamo Minsk of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL).[3] He had 18 points in 58 games, and an additional 4 points in 5 playoff games.[4] With Minsk's season over, Protas was re-assigned to the Hershey Bears, the Capitals' American Hockey League affiliate.[5]

During the 2021–22 NHL season, Protas was called up to the Capitals,[6] and he scored his first career NHL goal on 28 November 2021, during a 4–2 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes.[7]

On 19 January 2024, Protas signed a five-year contract extension with the Capitals, carrying an average annual value of $3.375 million through the 2028-29 season.[8]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2016–17 Team Belarus U17 BEL-2 4 0 1 1 0 — — — — —
2017–18 Team Belarus U17 BEL-2 49 9 11 20 8 3 1 3 4 0
2018–19 Prince Albert Raiders WHL 61 11 29 40 4 23 12 10 22 6
2018–19 Prince Albert Raiders MC — — — — — 3 0 0 0 2
2019–20 Prince Albert Raiders WHL 58 31 49 80 8 — — — — —
2020–21 Dinamo Minsk KHL 58 10 8 18 4 5 1 3 4 4
2020–21 Hershey Bears AHL 16 2 5 7 2 — — — — —
2021–22 Hershey Bears AHL 42 8 16 24 10 3 0 1 1 0
2021–22 Washington Capitals NHL 33 3 6 9 0 — — — — —
2022–23 Washington Capitals NHL 58 4 11 15 12 — — — — —
2022–23 Hershey Bears AHL 9 2 3 5 0 20 5 8 13 2
2023–24 Washington Capitals NHL 78 6 23 29 8
KHL totals 58 10 8 18 4 5 1 3 4 4
NHL totals 169 13 40 53 20 — — — — —

International

Year Team Event GP G A Pts PIM
2018 Belarus U18 5 1 3 4 0
2019 Belarus WJC-D1 5 2 3 5 0
2020 Belarus WJC-D1 5 4 3 7 6
2021 Belarus WC 6 0 2 2 0
Junior totals 15 7 9 16 6
Senior totals 6 0 2 2 0

Awards and honours

Honour Year
WHL
Ed Chynoweth Cup 2019
First All-Star Team (East) 2020 [9]
Belarus
2021 Belarus Cup – Champion 2021
AHL
Calder Cup 2023 [10]
International
WJC D1 – Silver Medal 2019
WJC-D1 – Bronze Medal 2020

References

  1. ^ "Raiders Select Protas In CHL Import Draft". Raiderhockey.com. June 28, 2018. Retrieved March 13, 2021.
  2. ^ "Capitals Sign Aliaksei Protas". NHL.com. July 10, 2019. Retrieved March 13, 2021.
  3. ^ a b "Capitals Loan Aliaksei Protas to Dinamo Minsk (KHL)". NHL.com. August 7, 2020. Retrieved March 13, 2021.
  4. ^ Punkari, Lucas (March 11, 2021). "Gotaas excited to return to the ice". Prince Albert Herald. Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. Retrieved March 13, 2021.
  5. ^ "Capitals Re-assign Aliaksei Protas to Hershey". NHL.com. March 18, 2021. Retrieved March 18, 2021.
  6. ^ "Capitals' Alexei Protas: Called up". cbssports.com. November 10, 2021. Retrieved December 21, 2021.
  7. ^ "Aliaksei Protas scores the first NHL goal after diverting the puck from Tony DeAngelo and in - AU Sports". ausports.net. November 28, 2021. Retrieved December 21, 2021.
  8. ^ https://www.nhl.com/capitals/news/capitals-re-sign-aliaksei-protas#:~:text=The%20Washington%20Capitals%20have%20re,through%20the%202028%2D29%20season.
  9. ^ "WHL announces 2019-20 Conference First All-Star Teams". Western Hockey League. April 7, 2020. Retrieved July 25, 2022.
  10. ^ "Sweeter by the dozen: Hershey wins 12th Cup". American Hockey League. June 22, 2023. Retrieved June 22, 2023.

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