Alberts Smits is headed to the Big Apple.
The New York Rangers selected the smooth-skating defenceman with the No. 5 pick in the first round of the NHL Draft on Friday.
This season Smits played starring roles for multiple teams. He played pro with Jukurit in Finland's Liiga and for Munich in Germany's DEL. He also represented Latvia at the world juniors, the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics and the men's world championships.
Smits won the E.J. McGuire Award of Excellence on June 9, given to the annually to a draft prospect "who best exemplifies commitment to excellence through strength of character, competitiveness, and athleticism."
“Alberts Smits emerged as one of the standout young defencemen in the 2026 Draft class," said Dan Marr, director of NHL Central Scouting, in a statement. "Alberts has NHL talent and the compete and character that he showed each game have earned him the 2026 E.J. McGuire Award of Excellence."
The 18-year-old blue liner becomes the highest-drafted Latvian player in NHL history, a distinction that was held by Zemgus Girgensons (14th overall in 2012 by the Buffalo Sabres). He also became the 11th player to be drafted in the first round after playing in the Olympics in the same year.
