Ilya Protas on his new nickname with the Capitals, playing together with his brother Aliaksei, his NHL firsts, and how Alex Ovechkin mentored him

Ilya Protas on his new nickname with the Capitals, playing together with his brother Aliaksei, his NHL firsts, and how Alex Ovechkin mentored him

HERSHEY, PA — Ilya Protas realized a childhood dream when he received his first call-up to the NHL and made his debut with the Washington Capitals on April 8. Not only did the 19-year-old Belarusian centerman make it to the top league in the world, where he received big fanfare on social media, but he also skated on the same line as his older brother Aliaksei Protas — his “coach” and mentor growing up — and Tom Wilson. The trio would be referred…