In an article from a Russian news outlet, Washington Capitals forward Aliaksei Protas said he learned about the NHL when he got a San Jose Sharks hat.
The interview was initially conducted about his success while playing with Alex Ovechkin. Protas is having a breakout season with 59 points (29 goals, 30 assists) and is +41 in 67 games this season.
“I learned what the NHL was when my parents gave me a San Jose cap when I was 12 or 13 years old,” Protas said.
He also relates to the future Hall of Famer. Ovechkin has gone on record as saying he grew up as a Sharks fan after he got a shirt as a child.
“I was a San Jose Sharks fan when I was a teenager,” Ovechkin told reporters in San Jose last Friday. “Good memories.”
The Great Eight told reporters he loved watching Owen Nolan play for Team Teal.
In a 2016 interview with Russian Machine Never Breaks, Ovechkin told the story of how he got his Sharks jersey.
“Actually, it’s fun story,” Ovechkin continued. “One of my teammates back then wear the hat with a shark, and we were like, ‘What is it?’ Because we don’t know the team. He said it’s the team over in San Jose, so I have a hat, I have a hoodie and like a jacket. Ulf Dahlen, I remember, my dad gave me a jersey of Ulf Dahlen. It was on my wall. That was kind of fun.”
When the Sharks hosted the Capitals last Saturday, Protas notched a goal and was +3.
Make that one goal away from a 30-goal campaign for Big Pro pic.twitter.com/zR7aSBDoQK— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) March 15, 2025
Protas is from Belarus and made his NHL debut during the 2021-22 season.
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