Down in Hershey, Ilya Protas appeared bigger than the 6-foot-5 beside his name. Sure enough, this promising prospect in Washington's pipeline has kept growing across the previous 12 months.
NHL.com's Tom Gulitti was the first to point out the update: on the Capitals' camp sheet, the younger Protas now carries a listing of 6-foot-6, a full inch up and level with his sibling Aliaksei.
Although the younger Protas has drawn level with his brother in stature, more growth could still lie ahead. Big Pro carries 247 pounds on his frame, whereas Little Pro sits 29 below that figure at 218. Even so, the prospect put on 17 additional pounds relative to a year earlier — an enormous gain of muscle.
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How this pair of brothers pans out could shape just how strong Washington becomes down the road. The elder one has firmly established himself, fresh off a personal-best showing in 2024-25. Big Pro racked up 66 points over 76 contests — split into 30 goals and 36 helpers — with that goal figure of 30 sitting third on the club, behind only Tom Wilson's 33 and the 44 from Alex Ovechkin. Suiting up in juniors at age 18, Little Pro erupted for a 124-point season — 50 markers and 74 helpers — across 61 appearances with Windsor, output good enough for runner-up throughout the entire circuit.
The two brothers put in their offseason work together back in Belarus, just as they had the summer prior.
During Washington's rookie camp, Ilya explained that he simply did whatever his coach instructed — that coach being his own brother. Whatever Aliaksei wanted, he said, he carried out.
He acknowledged that things don't always run smoothly, adding that his brother can be demanding. The two tend to shout at each other during sessions, Ilya noted, with Aliaksei doing the bulk of the yelling.
Imposing as the brothers may be, they don't top the list of camp's tallest. Eriks Mateiko — the forward from Latvia who shone during this past winter's World Juniors — likewise measures 6-foot-6 after his own jump in height last year. The biggest body present is that of Miroslav Satan, Jr., a forward who stands an inch higher this year at 6-foot-8. He is expected to skate this year with the OHL's Saginaw Spirit.
On the same sheet, Ovechkin's listed dimensions are 238 pounds and a height of 6-foot-3.
Washington's camp roster, listing each player's height and weight
📸: Katie Adler/RMNB