Aliaksei Protas and his younger brother, Ilya Protas, laced up their skates in their native Belarus for a good cause on Saturday. The two Washington Capitals forwards participated in a 3-on-3 charity game at Olimpik Arena in the nation’s capital city, Minsk.
The elder Protas was one of the title participants in the Betera-sponsored event, captaining one of the teams, while Calgary Flames forward Yegor Sharangovich captained the other. The game consisted of three 12-minute periods, and all ticket proceeds went to charity. The winning team also received 30,000 Belarusian Rubles (~$9,200).
Protas’s team ended up victors and immediately donated their prize winnings to the medical fund of a little girl in Belarus who is suffering from a rare neurodegenerative disorder.
“We talked to the guys before the game about the certificate,” Protas said, according to Betera’s Instagram account, as translated by Instagram. “We know that Yegor’s team would have done the same if they had won.
“This money will go to help one girl who is currently fighting a very rare and serious disease, which, unfortunately, Belarus does not have the means or resources to fight. Only we can help. We want to give her a chance at life. So, thank you all for participating.”
Other recognizable names to participate in the game include Mikhail Grabovski, Andrei Kostitsyn, Sergei Kostitsyn, Vladislav Kolyachonok, Aleksei Kolosov, Ilya Solovyov, and Nikita Tolopilo.
The final score was 12-10 in favor of Team Protas, although Sharangovich was the top scorer with five goals.
Aliaksei and Ilya are both expected to return to DC for Capitals Training Camp in the fall. Ilya, 19, is eligible to turn pro this season after posting 124 points (50g, 74a) in 61 games for the OHL’s Windsor Spitfires this past year.
