Aliaksei Protas (top) has been ranked 44th among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting. Protas and teammate Brett Leason [25th] both made the final list. (Jeff D'Andrea/paNOW Staff)

By Trevor Redden

Climbing the charts

Playoff performance helps Protas earn recognition

Apr 17, 2019 | 5:16 PM

Following a 40-point regular season, Raider rookie Aliaksei Protas has continued to elevate his game in the WHL playoffs, catching the attention of the NHL’s Central Scouting bureau.

On Monday, the final prospect rankings were released ahead of the 2019 draft coming up in Vancouver in June, and Protas was amongst the biggest risers, moving up to 44^th overall in North America after being ranked 77^th back in January.

While he’s happy that his performance has been recognized, the 6’5” winger from Vitebsk, Belarus stressed the importance of improvement.

“I saw [the ranking], so I’m happy about that but I have to work more to get higher every day. I’m happy, but I need to work more,” Protas said.

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Head Coach Marc Habscheid acknowledged the development of Protas this year, saying he’s been impressed by the rookie’s work ethic.

“He’s improved every day; I think that’s the big thing. He’s committed to improving his game and winning has a lot to do with it in terms of being noticed, and how you perform in the playoffs. I think so far he’s performed very well in the playoffs, and they watch that,” Habscheid said.

Protas was one of two Raiders ranked in the top 50 skaters in North America, with star forward Brett Leason coming in at number 25 following his breakout season that earned him a spot with Team Canada at the World Juniors, and a first-team all-star nod in the WHL’s Eastern Conference.

While Leason’s play has brought him some well-deserved recognition throughout the year, Protas has been somewhat under the radar as he adapts to life in Canada. Fans have seen a smooth transition on the ice, but Habscheid pointed out how difficult it can be for a foreign player to adjust to a new culture.

“It’s difficult, we look past that because he’s a hockey player, but it was probably more difficult for him culturally [than on the ice]. He wasn’t able to speak a lot of English when he came over, so he takes an English class. Culturally, how we do things, that’s new to him,” Habscheid said.

Since coming over to Prince Albert in late August, Protas was able to get home once over the Christmas break as he and teammate Sergei Sapego flew overseas to represent Belarus at the Division I World Junior championships in Germany in mid-December. After the tournament, they were both able to spend a week at home before re-joining the Raiders.

This past week, Protas was joined by his mother Tatyana who came overseas in time to catch the last four games of the Raiders’ second-round series against Saskatoon. In front of a familiar face, Protas scored goals in games five and six to help Prince Albert wrap up the series.

“I’m so happy about [her being here], she’s so excited too, she’s never seen it before. The fans, she’s so excited about that, she’s so happy to be here with me and I’m so happy too,” Protas said, before noting that his game five goal brought her to new levels of excitement.

“When I scored, she forgot how it happened she was just so happy, so that was good.”

Speaking through a translator app, Tatyana expressed her gratitude for the welcome she has received in Prince Albert over the past week. She said that the organization and community, as well as Aliaksei’s billets Roger and Kim Pagé and family, have made her feel very welcome.

In terms of the atmosphere in the arena, she said she was blown away by the energy at the Art Hauser Centre, as well as the crowd of over 10,000 in Saskatoon on Sunday.

This first hand experience will only serve to strengthen the family’s comfort level as Aliaksei moves toward his second year as a Raider next fall.

“Now she understands where he is, where he lives, the people, the crowd, the culture, the city he lives in. I think that helps because now she understands and they can talk about it back and forth, whereas before you couldn’t really talk to him about that because she hadn’t been there to see it. Now she has, and I think that’s helped him as well,” Habscheid added.

Through 10 playoff games so far, Protas is tied for fifth on the team with seven points. League-wide, Protas is also tied for fifth when it comes to rookie post-season scoring.

A big, rangy forward already, Protas has all the physical tools that you could ask for, but Habscheid notes his greatest strength may be between the ears.

“He’s smart, and I think that helps him a lot. He’s a big man but he’s still growing, and I think he’s going to find his feet more and more every day. But he’s smart, he sees it, he can anticipate plays, he’s a good passer, and his intelligence is very good,” Habscheid said.

As for his potential in the coming years?

“It’s unlimited, really. Like I said, he’s grown quick and if there’s something he needs to work on it’s his skating, but when you’re that tall, once you get older that will get better every year as he matures,” Habscheid said.

“The sky’s the limit for him.”

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trevor.redden@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @Trevor_Redden