Rookie Profile: Ilya Protas
Coming into a rookie season of a professional season out of the USHL and OHL is no easy feat. There is a transition period of learning a different league and going up against faster, stronger players. In comes 19-year-old rookie forward Ilya Protas. Protas has a strong net front presence and is a consistent playmaker. Protas was drafted in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft in the third round, 75th overall, by the Washington Capitals. Protas's older brother, Alexei Protas, is a center for the Washington Capitals.
Photo Credit: Hershey Bears
Before coming into the pro ranks, Protas played one season in the USHL during the 2023-2024 season with the Des Moines Buccaneers. He dressed in 61 games and scored 14 goals and 37 assists. After that, Protas moved on to the OHL in the 2024-2025 season with the Windsor Spitfires and played in 61 games and tallied 50 goals and 74 assists for a stunning 124 points in those 61 games.
Protas played in preseason games for the Capitals before being reassigned to the Hershey Bears. Playing in the AHL will not only be beneficial for a player like Protas but will also aid in his long-term development. In asking how he felt participating helped with his confidence, Protas stated, “You just get that experience when you’re around those guys and top players in the NHL, you look up to them. They help you and give you little details when you play those exhibition games. When you do play those exhibition games and get to the practices, you can understand to what level you continue to work on, and it helps to give you your confidence.”
During the October 18th, 2025 game in Hershey versus the Springfield Thunderbirds, Protas scored his very first AHL goal and assist, showing that in only his third game, he is not going to slow down any time soon. Protas has the growing pains of a young player, but he has the room to grow and learn throughout his first professional season within the Washington organization.
-Samantha Wismer/Olde City Sports Network
- Photo Credit: Hershey Bears
