{"id":505353,"date":"2026-03-05T14:11:13","date_gmt":"2026-03-05T14:11:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/505353\/"},"modified":"2026-03-05T14:11:13","modified_gmt":"2026-03-05T14:11:13","slug":"aliaksei-protas-gifts-capitals-players-customized-eagle-hats-from-brand-made-famous-by-evgeni-malkin-i-think-boys-loved-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/505353\/","title":{"rendered":"Aliaksei Protas gifts Capitals players customized eagle hats from brand made famous by Evgeni Malkin: \u2018I think boys loved it\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

Aliaksei Protas returned to his roots last month, attending a Hershey Bears game with his wife and young daughter at Giant Center<\/a>. The 25-year-old Capitals star took in the February 7 Bears game on the second day of the NHL\u2019s Olympic break to root for his 19-year-old younger brother, Ilya, the Capitals\u2019 best forward prospect outside the NHL.<\/p>\n

While there, Aliaksei not only saw his younger brother score a goal<\/a>, but he also publicly debuted his newest lid, a bold navy-blue hat featuring a patch with a realistic design of an eagle along with his nickname, \u2018Pro.\u2019<\/p>\n

\"Aliaksei\ud83d\udcf8: Hershey Bears<\/p>\n

Aliaksei also rocked the headwear while posing with his little brother after the game.<\/p>\n

\"Aliaksei\ud83d\udcf8: Hershey Bears<\/p>\n

The design plays off the Capitals\u2019 Screaming Eagle logo, which is becoming a more prominent part of the team\u2019s branding by the day. The team hosted a literal eagle at a game in October<\/a> \u2014 Brandon Duhaime may still be having nightmares<\/a> \u2014 while the players have integrated the national bird into their postgame celebrations, flashing their make-believe talons in the locker room.<\/p>\n

The lid is notable because it\u2019s made by Goorin Bros.<\/a>, a hat company made famous in hockey circles by Pittsburgh Penguins superstar Evgeni Malkin.<\/p>\n

Long a fan<\/a> and wearer of the brand\u2019s hats<\/a>, Malkin began wearing a custom lid with a realistic penguin and his nickname \u2018Geno\u2019 five years ago. The company has sold the \u2018Geno\u2019 penguin hats on its website and currently has offerings for Erik Karlsson and Kris Letang available for purchase<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Belarusian Protas, a part of the Capitals\u2019 Russian contingent, has long been friendly with Malkin, even having dinner with the Russian centerman, along with Alex Ovechkin, Evgeny Kuznetsov, and Alex Alexeyev<\/a>, at his house before a Capitals-Penguins game several years ago.<\/p>\n

So, behind the scenes, was this hat an Evgeni Malkin-Aliaksei Protas collaboration?<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, no, no, I didn\u2019t talk to him,\u201d Protas told RMNB\u2019s Katie Adler. \u201cObviously I got connected through the guy who knows him really well, But no.\u201d<\/p>\n

The question then stumbled unintentionally onto something much larger.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just saw those hats somewhere, back home (in Belarus), and I really liked them,\u201d Protas continued to her. \u201cSo I came here (to DC), I started to buy those, wear those, and I really liked them. And I think my wife made [the Pro hat] through my friend. They connected to the guy, and he made those custom ones, and I realized this might be the nice team gifts. So I bought them for everybody. Not with my (name), but there\u2019s different nicknames for the boys.<\/p>\n

\u201cMikey, Willy, I think Chucky,\u201d he continued. \u201cNothing really crazy.\u201d<\/p>\n

And Pro\u2019s teammates were appreciative.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was awesome,\u201d Dylan Strome said of his new eagle hat that reads \u2018ZINI.\u2019 \u201cI was surprised when we got it. It was nice. I like them a lot. Really nice of him. Nice guy.\u201d<\/p>\n

When asked of the favorite hat nickname he observed, Strome pointed to Jakob Chychrun\u2019s lid.<\/p>\n

\u201cStrip!\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Anthony Beauvillier has been frequently spotted rocking his Protas-created headwear in the locker room. His nickname on the hat features an alternate spelling of how some professional journalists \u2014 AKA: me \u2014 would spell it: Bovi vs. Beauvi.<\/p>\n

\"Anthony\ud83d\udcf8: Katie Adler\/RMNB<\/p>\n

Then there are some nicknames that are yet to be explained<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cCat,\u201d Matt Roy said, unamused. \u201cIt\u2019s just the nickname I got for some reason.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know the story behind it,\u201d Roy continued, \u201cso you\u2019ll have to ask Dowder.\u201d<\/p>\n

[Editor\u2019s note: Note to self, ask Dowder about this for a future story.]<\/p>\n

Not only did every player on the Capitals receive a hat, but Protas gave one to his beloved Capital-in-training down in Hershey.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, that one, yeah, he gave me one,\u201d Ilya Protas said. \u201cMine says Lil Pro, but I didn\u2019t know he gave it to the team.\u201d<\/p>\n

While the gift was certainly thoughtful, Aliaksei, ever so humble, was quick to deflect praise for his originality.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know other teams did the same thing,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The lids, too, were significantly more cost-conscious than Alex Ovechkin\u2019s recent team present: Hublot watches after he broke the NHL goals record<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Regardless, Aliaksei felt pride in his work and believed the team really appreciated it.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think boys loved it, pretty much,\u201d Protas said. \u201cI think it\u2019s a nice gift. Even if you don\u2019t want to wear it or something, you can give it to family members or something. I think it\u2019s still pretty cool. And, I mean, obviously, you never know what\u2019s part of the hockey, but people come and go, and it\u2019s just nice, memorable gift, I believe, just with the eagle and stuff. I think it\u2019s pretty nice.\u201d<\/p>\n

Additional reporting by RMNB\u2019s Katie Adler.<\/p>\n

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