Aliaksei Protas crouches down for his intermission interviews with Al Koken. Does it hurt? 'A little bit, but for him I can do that. I can sacrifice myself.'

"Aliaksei Protas is one of the tallest players in the NHL at 6-foot-6. When he's on skates, the Belarusian forward stands even taller, rising to nearly 7 feet tall. Protas's size can be game-changing on the ice, but it can also create awkward moments off of it, such as filming intermission interviews in a cramped hallway with Monumental Sports Network's Al Koken."

"It first began on January 24, 2025, after Protas scored his 20th goal of the season against the Seattle Kraken. "You can stand, brother," Koken told Protas in the interview, initially appearing to take the gesture as a rib. Koken subtly put a shoulder into the winger's side, encouraging him to stand back up. But it didn't stop. And Protas employed the squatting strategy for the rest of the season."

""It's becoming a bit now," Alex Landestoy pointed out during the postgame show on October 14 after the Washington Capitals beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2 in overtime. "Did Al Koken grow? Did Protas shrink? This is a fun bit that you guys have, and Protas just doesn't stop doing it, right?" "Right, and he does it with a smile on his face," Koken said. "He does it obviously to help me look a little bit bigger.""

Aliaksei Protas stands 6-foot-6 and appears nearly seven feet tall on skates, making him one of the tallest NHL players. His size can influence play and produce awkward off-ice moments during cramped intermission interviews with Monumental Sports Network's Al Koken. Protas began crouching during interviews on January 24, 2025, after scoring his 20th goal, placing his head near Koken's level. Koken initially joked and nudged Protas to stand, but Protas continued the squatting tactic through the 2024-25 season and into 2025-26. Teammates and Koken have come to enjoy and appreciate the lighthearted bit, with Koken noting his 5-foot-10 stature.

Read at RMNB