NHL Draft: Determination, Focus And Taylor Swift Fuel Alberts Smits' Rise To Stardom

Olympic Latvian defenseman Alberts Smits has accomplished a lot this season.

He's graduated full-time to the Liiga level in Finland, where he's playing over 20 minutes a night. He led a feisty Latvian team at the World Junior Championship and pushed Canada to the brink. And he just finished participating in his first Olympics, averaging just under 20 minutes across four games as the youngest player in the tournament.

He's doing it all as an 18-year-old learning two new languages and living on his own. Focusing on what he can control above all else and understanding when to unwind along the way has driven him up draft boards and better prepared him to pursue his calling in the NHL.

"I don't really worry about what I can't control, that's just not me," Smits said heading into the Olympics. "I think about what I can do, how I can help Latvia, and try and do that the best I can."

The 6-foot-3 Latvian blueliner collected two assists, including one on the game-winning goal in Latvia's upset win over Germany in the preliminary round.

Smits was playing meaningful minutes, including on special teams, for an Olympic team. The last time that happened for a top NHL draft prospect, Juraj Slafkovsky wound up going first overall.

That might not be the case for Smits, considering Slafkovsky had seven goals in seven games that year, whereas Smits wasn't quite as noticeable. What Smits' performance could do, however, is push him into the conversation for being the first defender off the board in June's NHL draft.

But heading into the Olympics, Smits was very focused on his game and what he could control. He wasn't too worried about what players on the other teams could do because whatever they did, he had to read and react accordingly in his own end and push the puck up ice offensively.

That mindset is exactly how he's elevated to Finnish pro hockey, working his way into the top four for Jukurit. He looks at himself in the mirror before thinking about anyone else – on his team or the other.

It's not a self-involved thing – Smits comes off as humble and grateful for every opportunity he gets. But his confidence is unwavering as well. He just wants to work from himself outward. When he does what his coaches ask of him, his impact on the team's success follows.

"I'm really excited to play for Latvia; it's an honor to represent my country," Smits said. "I feel like I'm ready to help Latvia push into the next level of countries."

Smits views hockey not just as a sport he's passionate about or his job. It's his calling. It's what he's meant to be doing. When asked what other sport at the Olympics he would want to try, he laughed the question off and said he's already an Olympic hockey player.

The way that Smits views his development is similar to the way that he views the game. He works in silence. Whether it's before or after practice, in the gym with the team or training on his own, Smits has found solace in growth.

Now 18 years old and living on his own in Finland, Smits has taken an interest in cooking and preparing himself for whatever the day brings. The meals that he makes aren't what you'd expect from a kid living on their own, either. He's focused on ensuring that his nutrition is right, but he's also trying not to eat plain chicken and rice.

The independence that he's discovered while cultivating his own space has helped prepare him for whatever the next steps entail. Smits has watched himself go from being a child in a new country to a man looking to solidify his future.

As serious as Smits is about his development and growth off the ice and his game on the ice, he also understands how to take the foot off the gas and laugh with friends and have a personality outside of hockey. His music taste is the perfect example of that.

"I like white girl music," Smits laughed. "I listen to Taylor Swift and stuff like that. It's fun music."

Smits isn't shy about showing off his personality. He says what's on his mind and doesn't really hold back. The young Latvian talks about his journey through hockey openly and cherishes each step along the way.

He's worked hard to communicate in English and Finnish on top of his native Latvian. Initially learning English to speak with teammates in Finland, Smits has worked to refine his Finnish to conduct more interviews in that language while playing in the Liiga. It's his way of paying respect to the nation that's allowed him to grow as a person and player over the last half-decade.

Smits' hockey career is just getting started. He's likely going to hear his name called quite early on Day 1 of the NHL draft in June, and in his eyes, that will be just another step toward what he's been working for. But it will be the big one that makes all of the hard work worth it.

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