The Washington Capitals have loaned forwards Ivan Miroshnichenko and Ilya Protas and goaltender Clay Stevenson to the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League (AHL), senior vice president and general manager Chris Patrick announced today.
Miroshnichenko, 22, recorded three points (2g, 1a) in 13 games with Washington this season. In 38 games with Hershey, Miroshnichenko has recorded 31 points (12g, 19a). The 6’1”, 205-pound forward ranks tied for second on the Bears in power-play goals (4), sixth in points and seventh in goals. In addition, Miroshnichenko ranks third on Hershey in points-per-game (0.82) among skaters with at least two games played.
Protas, 19, made his NHL debut with the Capitals on April 8 at Toronto and recorded four points (1g, 3a) in four games with Washington. On April 13 at Pittsburgh, Protas (1g-2a–3p) scored his first career goal and became the first teenager to have a three-point game with the Capitals since Scott Stevens (1g-2a–3p) on March 1, 1984. In 66 games with Hershey this season, Protas has recorded a team-high 62 points (28g, 34a). The 6’6”, 225-pound forward leads AHL rookies in points and ranks second in goals and tied for third in assists among first-year players. Among all AHL skaters, Protas ranks tied for eighth in goals and points. Protas leads the Bears in goals, points, power-play goals, power-play points (17), shots (141) and plus-minus (+16). On April 4 against Hartford, Protas recorded a career-high six points (1g, 5a), which marked the AHL’s first six-point game since 2019.
Stevenson, 27, stopped 27 of 28 shots against (.964 sv%) to earn his third win of the season on April 14 at Columbus. The 6’5”, 196-pound goaltender posted a 3-1-0 record with a 2.00 goals-against average and a .921 save percentage in four games with Washington this season. Stevenson has also appeared in 34 games with Hershey this season, posting a 16-12-3 record with a 2.64 goals-against average and a .910 save percentage.
