Alberts Smits Shares Thoughts on Historic NY Rangers Debut

How did Alberts Smits think he did in his NHL debut with the New York Rangers?

Sep 24, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers defenseman Alberts Smits (63) during the game against the New Jersey Devils at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The first game of the 2026-27 NHL regular season was a historic one for New York Rangers rookie Alberts Smits despite the team's 3-0 loss to the Boston Bruins.

Selected No. 5 in the 2026 NHL Draft, the defenseman made history by suiting up for the Rangers against the Bruins in his debut. He is the first 18-year-old defenseman to crack the opening night roster, with recent draft picks Kaapo Kakko and Alexis Lafreniere being fellow teenagers, but as forwards.

The last teenage defenseman to take the ice for the Rangers at all was Dave Maloney. A first-round pick in the 1974 NHL Draft, No. 14 overall, he made his debut on Dec. 18, 1974.

That provides some perspective on just how rare it is for defensemen that young to make the roster right away. He was a major part of the game plan in his debut, playing 16:54 of ice time as the No. 3 left-handed shooting defenseman behind Vladislav Gavrikov and Marcus Pettersson.

Alberts Smits has honest assessment of NHL debut

Sep 22, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers defenseman Alberts Smits (63) controls the puck in the first period against the New York Islanders at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Smits was paired with Braden Schneider, with Adam Fox as the No. 1 right-handed shooting option and Sean Durzi as the No. 2. He provided an honest assessment of how he performed in his debut, wishing he had a few plays back but overall likes the direction things are headed in.

“As the game went on, there’s a lot of stuff I would like to take back, especially in the first period,” Smits said, via Joe McDonald of NHL.com. “As the game went on, everybody got better. We had that feeling and got on the right track. We just need to make the right decisions from now on (and) keep going.”

Smits, who was thought to be the most NHL-ready player at his position in the 2026 NHL Draft, certainly proved that with a strong training camp that led to him earning a spot on the roster right away.

#NYR Alberts Šmits takes his rookie lap to a chorus of boos in Boston pic.twitter.com/EoKSvXFWeu

— Mollie Walker (@MollieeWalkerr) September 29, 2026

He performed so well that he was given the Lars-Erik Sjoberg Award, presented to the best rookie during training camp. That was what prompted a number change, going from No. 63, a rookie number in camp, to No. 12, which he wore on opening night and will continue to wear this season.

Measuring in at an imposing 6-foot-3 and 208 pounds, Smits handles himself on the ice much better than most teenagers would. He doesn’t shy away from physicality and has experience playing against top-flight competition.

There will be some time needed to adjust to the NHL, but the young Latvian doesn’t look fazed at all, being thrown right into the fire as a core part of the team’s defensive pairings.