Latvian hockey talent Šmits signs first NHL contract

Latvian hockey defenseman Dāvis Šmits, who was selected fifth overall in this year's NHL draft, has signed his first professional contract with the New York Rangers. The agreement is for three years, which is the maximum term that NHL teams can offer to league newcomers.

Financial terms of the deal have not been officially disclosed, but the maximum compensation for Šmits over the first three seasons at the NHL level could reach $3.225 million (approximately €2.82 million).

Šmits spent most of last season in the Finnish Liiga, playing for Mikkelin Jukurit. In 38 games, he scored six goals and added seven assists, but posted a minus-3 plus/minus rating. At the end of the season, the Latvian moved to the German DEL, where he recorded seven points (2 goals, 5 assists) in 16 games with a plus-2 rating for Red Bull Munich.

The 18-year-old also represented Latvia's U-20 national team at the World Junior Championships and played for the senior national team at the Olympic Games, where he was the youngest player in the tournament, and at the World Championships.

Šmits is the highest-drafted Latvian player in history, and his first contract with the Rangers marks a significant milestone in his career.