Alberts Šmits

Alberts Šmits
Šmits in 2026
Born (2007-12-02) 2 December 2007
Valmiera, Latvia
Height 190 cm (6 ft 3 in)
Weight 93 kg (205 lb; 14 st 9 lb)
Position Defence
Shoots Left
NHL team (P)
Cur. team
Former teams		 New York Rangers
Mikkelin Jukurit (Liiga)
Red Bull München
National team  Latvia
NHL draft 5th overall, 2026
New York Rangers
Playing career 2024–present

Alberts Šmits (born 2 December 2007) is a Latvian professional ice hockey player who is a defenceman for Mikkelin Jukurit of the Liiga as a prospect to the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted fifth overall by the Rangers in the 2026 NHL entry draft. He is the highest-drafted Latvian draft pick in NHL history.

Early life and playing career

Šmits was born on 2 December 2007 in Valmiera, Latvia.[1] He grew up in Latvia and was a member of the ice hockey club Baltu Vilki (a youth team of the R. Laviņš Sports Studio academy, founded by former Latvian international Rodrigo Laviņš),[2][1][3] appearing in four games for the Vilki under-17 team in 2021. In the fall of 2021, at age 13, he moved to Finland to seek better opportunities to play hockey, with his parents staying behind.[4] He told NHL.com that, "If I wanted to play hockey, I had to leave. In Latvia, it wasn't really possible at that moment. So that's when I made the decision to move abroad and continue my career in Finland. I moved here alone and lived on my own in Helsinki, which took some getting used to. There weren't really any other options, I just had to manage".[5]

In Helsinki, Šmits found it difficult to find an apartment; Ilta-Sanomat noted that, "Many landlords were not willing to accommodate [a] 13-year-old".[4] Eventually, he was able to move in with an elderly woman who lived in northwest Helsinki, near the rink of the club Karhu-Kissat, which he joined.[4] Initially, he was frequently visited by his parents in Helsinki, but eventually he began living completely independently.[6] He appeared in eight games for the Karhu-Kissat U16 team in the 2021–22 season, posting an assist.[1] He posted four points in five games for the U16 team, two goals in eight games for the U18 team, and one point in one game for the U19 team in 2022–23 season.[1] He also spent time with HIFK on loan.[4] In 28 games for the HIFK U16 team, he posted seven points.[1]

Šmits reached Karhu-Kissat's U20 team in the 2023–24 season, despite being only 15 years old at the start.[1][4] He posted 18 points in 13 games with the U18 team and 10 points in 25 games for Karhu-Kissat's U20 team.[1] Upon the suggestion of his coach, he tried out for Mikkelin Jukurit in April 2024 and made the junior team.[4] Playing with the U18 team, Šmits totaled 20 points in 20 games in the 2024–25 season, while he also had nine points in 21 games with the U20 team.[7] In the spring of 2025, he was promoted to the senior Jukurit squad.[4] He played in nine games for them in the Finnish Liiga, scoring two points.[1] He signed a contract extension with Jukurit in November 2025, to keep him with the club through 2028.[8]

During the 2025–26 season, Šmits appeared in 38 games for Jukurit, registering six goals and seven assists in that span. In February 2026, he was loaned to Red Bull München of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL). After managing one assist in his five DEL regular season games with München, he had two goals and four assists in 11 playoff games.[9] Šmits was identified as a top prospect eligible for the 2026 NHL entry draft,[10] and received the E. J. McGuire Award of Excellence, the NHL Central Scouting Bureau's award for the draft prospect "who best exemplifies commitment to excellence through strength of character, competitiveness and athleticism."[9]

Šmits was selected with the fifth overall pick by the New York Rangers in the 2026 NHL entry draft.[11] On 15 July 2026, he was signed to a three-year, entry-level contract by the Rangers.[12]

International career

Šmits competed for Latvia at the 2024 World U18 Championships, recording three points in five games.[1] In November 2025, he was called up to the senior national team for the 2025 Deutschland Cup after an injury to Roberts Mamčics.[13] In three games, he recorded one assist.[1]

Šmits was selected to the roster of the junior national team for the 2026 World Junior Championships,[14] and had one goal and four assists in five tournament games. He rejoined the senior team as part of the Latvian delegation to the 2026 Winter Olympics. In his Olympic debut, he had two assists in Latvia's four games. Thereafter, he appeared at the 2026 World Championship, where he had four assists prior to Latvia being ousted by Norway in the quarterfinal.[9]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GPGAPtsPIM GPGAPtsPIM
2024–25 Mikkelin Jukurit FIN U20 214592 —————
2024–25 Mikkelin Jukurit Liiga 91124 —————
2025–26 Mikkelin Jukurit Liiga 38671320 —————
2025–26 Red Bull München DEL 50112 112466
Liiga totals 47781524 —————
DEL totals 50112 112468

International

Year Team Event Result GPGAPtsPIM
2025 Latvia U18 8th 51232
2026 Latvia WJC 7th 51452
2026 Latvia OG 10th 40222
2026 Latvia WC 6th 80440
Junior totals 102684
Senior totals 120662

Awards and honours

Award Year Ref
NHL
E. J. McGuire Award of Excellence 2026 [15]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Alberts Smits". EliteProspects.com.
  2. ↑ Irša, Lāsma (22 December 2021). "Jēkabpils novada pašvaldība noslēdz līgumu ar "R. Laviņa sporta studiju"" [The administration of Jēkabpils Municipality signs a contract with R. Laviņš Sports Studio]. jekabpils.lv (in Latvian). Retrieved 17 July 2026.
  3. ↑ Lācis, Mārtiņš (3 August 2024). "50 gadu jubileju svin Latvijas izlases rekordists Rodrigo Laviņš" [Latvian national team record-setter Rodrigo Laviņš turns 50]. hokejazinas.com (in Latvian). Retrieved 17 July 2026.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Touru, Ville (20 November 2025). "13-vuotiaalle oli vaikea löytää omaa vuokra-asuntoa Helsingistä – nyt tästä pojasta kohisee koko kiekkomaailma" [It was difficult for a 13-year-old to find his own rental apartment in Helsinki – now the whole hockey world is buzzing about this boy]. Ilta-Sanomat (in Finnish).
  5. ↑ Strozyk, Matias (10 October 2025). "Liigan nuori latvialainen yllättäjä kiinnostaa NHL-seuroja" [The league's young Latvian surpriseer is of interest to NHL clubs] (in Finnish). National Hockey League.
  6. ↑ Kļavenieks, Mārtiņš (30 October 2025). "Potenciālais drafta Latvijas rekordists Šmits: Jādomā par savu spēli, nevis NHL skautiem" [Potential Latvian draft record holder Šmits: We should think about our own game, not NHL scouts] (in Latvian). Public Broadcasting of Latvia.
  7. ↑ Dilāns, Kristiāns (4 November 2025). "Somijas augstākajā līgā sevi apliecinājušais 17 gadīgais aizsargs Šmits tiek pie jauna līguma" [17-year-old defenseman Šmits, who has proven himself in the Finnish top league, signs a new contract]. Sportacentrs.com (in Latvian).
  8. ↑ Pilvinen, Sami (6 November 2025). "Poikkeuksellinen lahjakkuus jatkaa SM-liigassa" [Exceptional talent to continue in the SM-liiga]. Iltalehti (in Finnish).
  9. 1 2 3 Morreale, Mike G. (9 June 2026). "Smits receives E.J. McGuire Award of Excellence ahead of 2026 Draft". NHL.com. Retrieved 9 June 2026.
  10. ↑ Touru, Ville (22 October 2025). "NHL-kykyjenetsijät villiintyivät: SM-liigaan pölähti melkoinen pelaaja" [NHL scouts went wild: A pretty player was drafted to the Finnish Super League]. Ilta-Sanomat.
  11. ↑ "Rangers take defenceman Alberts Smits fifth overall at NHL Draft". Sportsnet.ca. 26 June 2026. Retrieved 16 July 2026.
  12. ↑ "Rangers Agree to Terms with Alberts Smits". NHL.com. 15 July 2026. Retrieved 16 July 2026.
  13. ↑ Arkimies, Tuomas (30 October 2025). "SM-liigan 17-vuotias lupaus maajoukkueeseen" [SM-liiga's 17-year-old promise for the national team]. Ilta-Sanomat (in Finnish).
  14. ↑ Kiviniemi, Konsta (13 December 2025). "Jukurien tähti Alberts Šmits ihastuttaa ja vihastuttaa matkalla kohti kirkkaita valoja" [Jukurie star Alberts Šmits delights and angers on his way to the bright lights]. Jatkoaika (in Finnish).
  15. ↑ "Alberts Smits named recipient of 2026 E.J. McGuire Award of Excellence". NHL.com. 9 June 2026. Retrieved 9 June 2026.
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