Alberts Šmits sets Latvian record as fifth overall pick in NHL draft by New York Rangers

The first round of the 2026 National Hockey League (NHL) draft took place on Friday, with five players selected. Among them was Latvian Alberts Šmits, chosen fifth overall by the New York Rangers. Šmits becomes the second Latvian player ever drafted by the Rangers – the first was forward Juris Štāls, picked in the ninth round (269th overall) in 2001.

The only Latvian to have played for the Rangers is Sandis Ozoliņš, who represented the team during the 2005/06 and 2006/07 seasons, appearing in 40 regular-season games and recording 17 points (3 goals and 14 assists).

The top five picks of the draft included, besides Šmits: Gevins Makena (Toronto Maple Leafs), Ivars Stenbergs (San Jose Sharks), Keilebs Malhotra (Vancouver Canucks), and Deksons Rudolfs (Buffalo Sabres).

The second part of the draft ceremony, covering rounds two through seven, will begin on Saturday at 6:00 PM Latvian time. Additional Latvian players may be selected then; forwards Rūdolfs Bērzkalns, Olivers Mūrnieks, Bruno Osmanis, and goaltender Patriks Plūmiņš are listed in various draft rankings.