Rangers Rookie Alberts Smits Reflects on Debut | New York Rangers News

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It's September 30th. This is New York Rangers News Today team news powered by AI. Alright, so it was a historic night for the New York Rangers as they kicked off the 2026-27 NHL season.

Rookie defenseman Alberts Smits made his debut against the Boston Bruins, becoming the first 18-year-old defenseman to ever suit up for the team on opening night. That's definitely a big deal.

Despite the Rangers losing 3 to nothing, Smits played a significant role in the game, logging almost 17 minutes on ice as the number 3 left-handed defenseman. That's a heavy load for a rookie, which shows they really believe in his abilities. He paired up with Braden Schneider, and they had some solid veterans to lean on with Adam Fox and Sean Dursey. Smits shared that there were moments he wished he could take back, especially in the first period. But he felt the team made strides as the game went on. That kind of maturity in a young player is impressive. Before making the team, Smits was recognized for his readiness at the NHL level, winning the Lars-Erik Sjoberg Award in training camp.

He was so strong in camp that he switched his jersey number from 63 to 12 for the season. Not a bad way to start off. So while this debut didn't end with a win, Smits brings a lot of promise and physicality to the Rangers defense. It's gonna be fascinating to see how he grows as the season rolls on.