On the same night, the Protas brothers each achieved a significant career milestone by scoring their 20th goals of the season. Aliaksei Protas secured his 20th goal with a shorthanded empty-net shot, helping the Washington Capitals claim a 3-1 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers at Capital One Arena. Meanwhile, his younger brother Ilya Protas scored his 20th goal for the Hershey Bears in their 6-3 win against the Utica Comets, playing roughly 129 miles away.
Aliaksei Protas’ Key Goal Seals Capitals Win
Aliaksei Protas showed his scoring ability by netting the decisive goal late in the game, with just 26 seconds left on the clock. Coming off a secondary assist on Trevor van Riemsdyk’s game-winning goal, Aliaksei cut through the neutral zone and shot into the empty net, securing the lead for Washington. This marked his second shorthanded goal of the current season and extended his streak to 20 or more goals for a second year in a row, following a career-high 30 goals last season.
Ilya Protas Scores Career-First Professional 20th Goal
In the AHL, 19-year-old Ilya Protas scored his 20th goal 5:14 into the second period of the Hershey Bears’ game. After Ivan Miroshnichenko’s spinning shot created a rebound opportunity, Ilya skillfully finished on his backhand, beating goaltender Jakub Málek. His goal helped push the Bears to a 4-1 lead, eventually winning 6-3. This milestone represents Ilya’s first 20-goal season as a professional and places him as the leading scorer for the Bears. He ranks second among all AHL rookies, trailing only Quinn Hutson, who has 24 goals, and is tied for 17th in the league overall.
Aliaksei Reflects on His Brother’s Success
Following the games, Aliaksei commented on the significance of the brothers reaching the same goal total during the season.
“Yeah, I mean, happy for him,”
Aliaksei told Monumental Sports Network’s Al Koken after the Capitals’ win.
“He’s doing a good job getting into those hard areas. He’s a hard-working guy. For sure, I’ve got to show him the way, and like, ‘Who’s the better-scoring brother in the family?’ So I’ve got to – we’re tied right now. He had [another goal] the last game, so I’ve got to pick up a little bit.”
Implications for the Future of the Protas Brothers
Both Aliaksei and Ilya Protas’s accomplishments highlight their growing impact in professional hockey, with Aliaksei continuing to contribute at the NHL level and Ilya making his mark in the AHL as a top rookie scorer. Their simultaneous 20-goal achievements not only emphasize their individual talents but also suggest a promising future for both players as they advance their hockey careers. Fans and analysts will be watching closely to see who will continue to lead as the top scorer within this talented family duo.
Pro potting 20 goals again, we all love that pic.twitter.com/4Ig6zNLac7
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) February 26, 2026
Ilya Protas now has more goals (20) than he has years on this earth (19) 😯
🍎Miroshnichenko
🍏McDonald https://t.co/HNACTQygWr pic.twitter.com/v757hxuadE— Hershey Bears (@TheHersheyBears) February 26, 2026
