Wednesday brought word that Ilya Protas had landed among the half-dozen skaters chosen for the AHL's freshman honor squad covering 2025-26.
At a mere 19 years old, the center stands as just the sixth player in club annals to pick up such an end-of-year nod, and among forwards merely the third to do so, a group that also features Connor McMichael (named in 2020-21) and Ethen Frank (honored in 2022-23). Despite a four-outing NHL look in Washington across the past fortnight or so, Protas still paces the Bears offensively, his 34 helpers and 28 markers over 66 games combining for a 62-point total.
Sent back down Wednesday morning, Protas continues to lead all freshman scorers across the AHL, perched a single point in front of fellow honoree Quinn Hutson. Looking at the entire circuit, he sits tied for eighth in total production even though a quartet of the names above him have appeared in more contests than he has.
That haul of 28 goals stands as the highest single-season output ever for a teenaged Hershey skater, surpassing a 20-goal benchmark Real Chevrefils set during 1951-52. Protas additionally delivered the organization's first half-dozen-point night going back to a six-assist showing by Mathieu Perreault on the 14th of November in 2010.
Over his brief four-game NHL look, Protas matched a point-per-game pace, wrapping up with three assists and a goal for four points. In a victory at Pittsburgh dated April 12, Protas turned into the first teenaged Capital across a span of more than 42 years to post a three-point night for the club — the prior instance, by Scott Stevens (one goal, two assists), tracing to the first of March in 1984.
Back with Hershey once more, Protas will aim to help the club secure a spot in the AHL postseason across the final three games on its regular slate. On Wednesday evening the Bears welcome Wilkes-Barre/Scranton's Penguins, with a berth potentially locked up should they prevail and get the right results elsewhere.