Plūmiņš Selected by Toronto Maple Leafs, Mūrnieks by Buffalo Sabres in NHL Draft

In the 2026 NHL Draft, Latvian hockey players Patriks Plūmiņš and Maksims Mūrnieks were selected by the Toronto Maple Leafs and Buffalo Sabres, respectively.

Plūmiņš, a goaltender, played last season in the Optibet Hockey League for vice-champion Zemgale. He led the league in both save percentage (92.7%) and goals-against average, allowing 1.5 goals per game over 16 appearances. He played only one playoff game before joining the Latvian U18 national team for the World Championship. At that tournament, Latvia shocked the world by eliminating tournament favorite USA in the quarterfinals, eventually finishing fourth. Plūmiņš was named the tournament's best goaltender. He is the sixth Latvian goalie drafted into the NHL and the first ever selected by the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Mūrnieks, a forward, spent last season in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) with the Saint John Sea Dogs. His season was difficult and disrupted due to multiple concussions, which prevented him from finding good form. Consequently, his draft stock fell from a potential late first-round pick to the fourth round. In 31 games, he recorded 20 points (7 goals, 13 assists) and a minus-23 plus/minus rating. Despite the struggles, he maintained a leadership role with the Latvian U20 national team and became the youngest Latvian player ever to debut at the senior World Championship.