"Yeah, and that story in itself is crazy. Going back to Vegas - when Little Pro, when it was his draft year, I was out there, and Big Pro came because his brother was going to be drafted. And I went for lunch with him and Pro's wife and Pro's mom. Pro's dad couldn't make it, but his mom was there and doesn't speak any English."
"We went for lunch, and I have nothing to do with the draft, nothing. So, like, I have no idea who we're going to pick. And she said - she told Pro to translate. She goes, 'Can you tell Coach Carbs I would really love if you guys would draft my younger son so that they can look after him like they did for you?'"
The Washington Capitals drafted Ilya Protas with the 75th overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, reuniting him with older brother Aliaksei, who was a third-round pick in 2019. Aliaksei attended the 2024 draft with his wife and mother to support his younger brother. Head coach Spencer Carbery lunched with the Protas family and recounted Aliaksei's mother asking that her younger son be drafted so the brothers could look after each other. The Capitals acquired the 75th pick via trade with the New Jersey Devils, sending their 82nd- and 146th-overall selections, mirroring an earlier similar deal.
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