ARLINGTON, VA — When Ilya Protas first tried to tell his brother he’d been called up to the Washington Capitals, Aliaksei sent him to voicemail.
“He called, a video, but I was with the daughter, so I couldn’t respond,” Aliaksei said. “And I’m like, ‘I’m going to call later.’”
Only after Ilya sent the news in the family group chat did Aliaksei pick up the phone.
“He texted me, ‘I got called up,’ so I answered right away,” Aliaksei said.
Aliaksei, like Capitals management, had been paying close attention to Ilya’s AHL season. With 62 points (28g, 34a) in 66 games, Ilya leads the Hershey Bears in scoring and ranks sixth in the league—the only rookie in the top 10.
The recall made sense: both head coach Spencer Carbery and general manager Chris Patrick have said they wanted to find Ilya an opportunity this year, and an 8-1 loss to the New York Rangers on Sunday effectively ended the Capitals’ playoff hopes, opening up an opportunity for Ilya to play in DC.
But when the moment came, it still didn’t feel real. Just getting to make his NHL debut was magical enough for Ilya, let alone doing so with his brother by his side.
“If you had told me that in childhood, I would just hang up the phone,” Ilya said. “Like, ‘No, it’s spam or something.’”
“Hard to believe it right now, to be honest,” Aliaksei added. “Looking to the side (at him on the ice), looking in the gym — camp is one thing, but right now, seeing him get a chance to have a debut tomorrow, maybe, it’s an unbelievable feeling. Just trying to stay focused right now, but it’s a surreal feeling.”
The Protas brothers talk to the press after practice Tuesday
Eight players on the Capitals’ roster have a brother playing professional hockey, but the Protas’ bond is closer than most. When their father was away from the family for work for a year, Aliaksei took on more responsibility for his younger brother, and Ilya has called him his “second mom.”
“I needed to help my mom, you know?” Aliaksei said. “I needed also to go skate and play hockey, plus school, kindergarten for Ilya. So (I) just needed to be that brother to help. And I think growing up, we had great relationships, moving forward, and hopefully it’s going to become even better.”
Ilya admits he didn’t make the job easy.
“I was kind of tough little brother,” he said. “My mom told me he always was helping her with me, because I wasn’t good. I was running around and doing some crazy stuff…he was really mature when I was younger.”
Aliaksei has taken on a similar mentorship role in Ilya’s hockey career, putting him through his paces during their shared summer training.
“(I learned) consistency, how hardworking he is, and his work ethic,” Ilya said. “Because obviously your offseason, (we’re) always together. We’re practicing together and you see how hard he works. And each and every day is consistent.”
That work paid off: Ilya has impressed in his rookie season with the Bears, already a star in the league and one of Hershey’s top players at age 19.
“I’m going to be honest: I for sure didn’t expect that big of a jump,” Aliaksei said. “But I knew he’s a smart player. I knew he’s a hard-working player. Plus, he’s got the great coaching staff, in terms of developing the players, and the great teammates.
“So I knew and I hoped he’s going to have success, but for sure I didn’t expect that much of his success. And I feel like it’s just a start. He’s got so much work ahead of him, and just got to keep working. But so far he’s been great, and I’m so proud of him.”
Ilya’s best game of the season came on Saturday, when he tallied a staggering 6 points (1g, 5a) for the Bears against the Hartford Wolf Pack, doing so the same night Aliaksei notched a goal and an assist over the Buffalo Sabres.
“When you get two points, you feel (like) that’s a good night — until you like take a look at the stats in other leagues,” Aliaksei joked. “You see six points on the board, I mean, it’s not fun to see that, when you think you had a good night.”
Despite his coaching, Aliaksei didn’t want to take credit for what his brother had done.
“I didn’t skate for him; I didn’t do the gym for him, right?” Aliaksei said. “He’s done that himself. He’s a hard-working guy. He absolutely deserves it. Did I help him? Yeah, I’m trying my best. I’m so happy for him. But he did it by himself. He earned that chance, and, hopefully he’ll get it and make the best out of it.”
During the season, they talked on a daily basis — mostly Ilya FaceTiming to see his two young nieces, but the topic drifted to hockey sometimes, too.
Now, the brothers are practically attached at the hip in Washington. While Ilya stayed at the team hotel during training camp last fall, he’s moved into Aliaksei’s guest room ahead of his NHL debut.
“He’s seen my younger daughter only once, so just spend time with them, spend time with the family,” Aliaksei said. “(My older daughter) Alice missed him so much. So it’s just special to [have] him around, helping me sleep a little bit more.”
Ilya also slotted into the stall next to Aliaksei’s in the Capitals’ locker room, and they practiced on a line together on Tuesday.
“It kind of sucks: I got teaching every second from him,” Ilya joked. “But it’s all right. But yeah, it’s definitely fun. It’s definitely a childhood dream come true.”
He’s already spent 19 years learning from Aliaksei as a brother and as a coach: now he has the chance to learn from him as a linemate.
Asked what lessons he’s taken from the experience so far, Ilya said “Probably just don’t make big mistakes, and always talk on the ice, because he said it makes it easier when you’re talking.”
Plenty of siblings spend their childhoods playing pretend in the backyard, imagining they’ve made the NHL together. Few of them ever make it to the show, and even then they’re usually playing thousands of miles away. But when Ilya takes the ice for his NHL debut on Wednesday, he and Aliaksei will become some of the rare few who make the dream real.
“It’s just a special, special moment for our family,” Ilya said.