Latvian defenceman Alberts Šmits was selected fifth overall by the New York Rangers in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft, making the 18-year-old the highest-drafted Latvian player in NHL history.
Šmits surpassed the previous Latvian draft record held by current Tampa Bay Lightning forward Zemgus Girgensons, who was selected 14th overall by the Buffalo Sabres in 2012. He also became only the 11th player in NHL Draft history to be selected in the first round after competing at the Olympic Games, and the first-ever player to participate in an Olympics featuring NHL players before being drafted.
Leading up to the draft, opinions on Šmits’ draft position varied considerably. ESPN’s prospect rankings projected him to be selected 16th overall by the St. Louis Blues. Meanwhile, in the NHL’s official mock draft, both invited experts predicted the Latvian blueliner would be chosen within the top ten.
Dan Marr, Director of NHL Central Scouting, described Šmits as one of the standout defencemen in this year’s draft class. “Alberts Šmits emerged as one of the premier young defencemen available in the 2026 NHL Draft,” Marr said. “Albert possesses exceptional talent, and the determination and character he displayed in every game earned him this year’s E.J. McGuire Award of Excellence.”
Šmits will not be the first Latvian to be associated with the New York Rangers organization. In the ninth round of the 2001 NHL Draft, the Rangers selected forward Juris Štāls with the 269th overall pick, although he never appeared in an NHL game. Legendary Latvian defenceman Sandis Ozoliņš also played for the Rangers, recording 17 points in 40 games over parts of two seasons.
The 18-year-old began the 2025–26 season as a first-pairing defenceman for Finnish Liiga club Mikkelin Jukurit before finishing the campaign with a club in Munich, where he gained valuable experience during the German league playoffs.
Internationally, Šmits enjoyed a breakthrough season by earning a place on Latvia’s senior national team. During the year, he represented his country at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milan, the IIHF World Championship in Zurich, and the IIHF World Junior Championship, where he recorded five points in five games.
Source: lhf.lv
