Albert Schmidt | Photo: Mike “Juritit”
North American media “The Athletic” columnist Scott Wheeler has published the National Hockey League (NHL) 2026 draft forecast, including two Latvian players in the TOP 50.
In 13th place is the 17-year-old defender Albert Schmidtwho plays in the Finnish Ice Hockey League (Liiga) unit “Jukurit”. In 19 matches this season, he stood out with ten (6+4) performance points.
“Šmits is a defenseman from Latvia who is averaging 19 minutes this season. With Jukurit juniors, he has shown skill every time I’ve watched games, showing impressive skill for his size and playing in the offensive zone when needed. He has great hands, keeps the puck through the rim, keeps it, often with the stick in one hand. Now he plays with confidence on defense and plays with courage also against men, defending with positive results. I have some doubts about his physical form, but with his dimensions he skates well,” writes the reviewer.
On the other hand, the 17-year-old forward is ranked 41st Oliver Mūrnieks. He plays for the Saint John Sea Dogs of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), collecting ten (1+9) points in 15 matches.
The reviewer describes Mūrnieku as a center forward with a versatile game. “He’s strong on the faceoff, a great player on both ends of the court and in the small, follows and wins the puck for his age, plays with high accuracy. His skating is average, but his skill level is not dynamic, but he has some skills that make him a promising NHL player. He can be looked at as a potential third-shift center in the future,” according to Wheeler.
