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Today
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67°
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Sunrise 5:09am · Sunset 9:12pm
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Tides: Next: High 7.3 ft at 12:24 PM
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AQI 50 — Good
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No quakes M4.5+ in last 24h
Seattle Sports
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LOSS Storm 73 at Mercury 93 Sat, Jun 20
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Davy Jones Locker Room
23 minutes
Draft Profiles 2k26: Alberts Šmits is Latvia’s ferocious hope
The Draft Profiles are back! And we start with a defender! Defenseman Alberts Šmits has one of the more unique paths as a defenseman in this draft; being a Latvian playing in Finland as one of the younger players in the top finnish league, and having a serious chance of being the highest drafted player from his home country. And he’s done it in a simple, easy to understand way; bowling over the competition. Who is he? Alberts Šmits is a Valmiera, Latvian-born, 6’3, 209-pound defenseman who shoots Left. He plays for Jukurit in the Finnish Liiga; the highest level of Finnish hockey. At the conclusion of their season, Jukurit loaned Šmits to EHC Red Bull München in the highest level of German hockey; the DEL. He also had a pretty active career this year with the Latvian National Team; playing at the World Juniors, the World Championships, and the Olympics. What’s he good at? AGGRESSION. European players have largely broken this through the last two decades, but there is a low level stigma around the European game of not being especially physical. This is largely because you need to actually commit to being physical overseas; their commitment to larger, Olympic sized rinks means if you whiff on a hit, you’re going to be extremely out of a play and looking ridiculous. As such, players develop more of an understanding of the defensive game from a less physical side of things. It appears nobody really told Šmits any of that, because he loooooooves gettin’ involved physically. Šmits combines a lot of the best aspects of your modern defenseman; good skating, solid instincts on how to clog up a lane and when, and strong stickwork, and marries it to a ferocious work ethic that makes him a nightmare to forecheck against. Alberts Šmits will move heaven and earth to get after you. His aggression regularly forces forecheckers to get rid of the puck in a hurry with the fear of a large Latvian sitting on top of them whacking away at the puck or at them, and his strong stickwork allows for a major advantage in winning board battles (the NHL-sized frame helps there a lot), then can allow him to either get a clean breakout through a pass, or he’ll get himself involved in the play as a first line of attack; using solid skating to get as close to a zone entry and then dump it, or even just go and see if he can create some offense. And yet, when in high danger situations, it always appears as though Šmits is right in his element. He closes shooting lanes with ease both on the cycle and in transition, he will casually maneuver players at speed away from the middle of the ice, and towards his Indeed, when he’s on his game, Šmits is a shift-warping defender who can be a major force of danger for his team. What’s he not so good at? Harnessing said aggression responsibly. It’s only natural that a player this aggressive will sometimes put himself in hot water, especially in a more stringent european league. This sometimes means whiffed hits, undisciplined play, or taking himself out of the play in order to tie up one player or go impose himself on the other team. It’s especially prominent in net-front defense, where he can be caught focusing down on one player and ignoring others; pulling himself out of position. Further, Šmits aggression didn’t come from nowhere; Jukurit would’ve been on the relegation chopping block had Liiga still operated as of the Finnish ice hockey relegation/promotion pyramid. Further, his national team is Latvia; an eternal underdog that is continually hard up for offense. His minute munching tendencies for both of these squads meant he wasn’t just being asked to do a lot defensively, he was often asked to be the instigating force for the offense. This has created a very shoot-first mentality in the young man that is prone to taking any old shot to see if it can get to the dangerous area of the ice, no matter if there’s a shooting lane or not. This can also end up creating bad bounces that have him on the back foot or making passes to seemingly nowhere in the desperate hope of creating something, anything, for his team. More than anything, honing Šmits’ aggression so that it compliments his skillset rather than giving it the chance to undermine his abilities will be critical to his development; allowing him the space to not feel like he needs to be the hero all the time. Prospect Rankings Ranked 2nd by NHL Central Scouting among European Skaters. Ranked 11th by EliteProspects.com Ranked 8th by TSN’s Craig Button Ranked 7th by DailyFaceoff.com Ranked 7th by Smaht Scouting Ranked 11th by DobberProspects Should the Kraken take him? If Šmits ends up in Seattle, it’s hard not to think of a scenario in which he doesn’t become a fan favorite as Šmits has a game that your average NHL fan can just wrap themselves in like a big, angry hug. It helps that other than Chase Reid, the rest of the defensive prospects in this draft will probably need at least a couple of years to find themselves in the pro level whereas Smits will almost certainly have a major leg up from having played in pro leagues already. I’m not saying he’ll play immediately, but if he gets to wear Deep Blue? It will be difficult taking him out of it if he brings that game to the NHL.
Seattle Medium
33 minutes
Vanishing Care: GOP Healthcare Cuts Hit Black America Hard
Cuts to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act have resulted in the closure of over 1,000 healthcare facilities and reduced services, disproportionately affecting Black communities. This systemic impact has led to increased ambulance response times, contributing to delayed care, preventable suffering, and a heightened risk of mortality for Black Americans, who already experience higher uninsured rates.
Seattle Medium
43 minutes
Women Built The Ministry. Men Kept The Title.
The Southern Baptist Convention has advanced a constitutional amendment that would formalize restrictions on women serving as pastors, a development that for many Black church leaders exposes a broader reality: women are often essential to ministry but excluded from many of its highest positions.
Seattle Medium
about 1 hour
How One News Error Shook Baltimore’s Faith Community
The Baltimore Sun's erroneous identification of Pastor Antoine Burton as a crime suspect has prompted widespread outrage among Baltimore clergy and elected officials, raising critical questions regarding newsroom safeguards, public trust, and the profound implications of misidentification for Black community leaders.
Seattle Medium
about 1 hour
I Now Know He Won Nothing
Reports highlight former President Donald Trump's controversial claims regarding the Iran conflict and his administration's efforts to restrict voting access, alongside his perceived disrespect for international figures. In contrast, former President Barack Obama's eight-year tenure is frequently cited for its achievements and the hope it inspired.
West Seattle Blog
about 1 hour
TRAFFIC, TRANSIT, WEATHER: First Monday of summer, with Heat Advisory alert
6:02 AM: Good morning! It’s Monday, June 22, 2026. No Seattle World Cup match today – next one’s at noon Wednesday. WEATHER + SUNRISE/SUNSET Summer is here and so is a Heat Advisory alert from the National Weather Service, in effect 11 am today to 11 pm Wednesday. Today’s forecast, however, is for sunshine and […]
West Seattle Blog
about 7 hours
WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Store robbery
Police are arriving at Global Smoke and Vape at 35th/Roxbury after a reported robbery within the past half-hour. So far the robbers are described only as three white males, two in black ski masks and black hoodies, one carrying a trash bag of merchandise taken in the robbery.
West Seattle Blog
about 8 hours
BIZNOTE: La Casa del Sabor bringing Mexican food back to Fauntleroy
Thanks for the tips! Ever since the La Casa del Sabor trailer turned up parked at the same spot vacated by El Camion two years ago, we’ve been trying to reach them to find out their plan. Went by again tonight after sunset and discovered a new sign on the truck: So there you have […]
West Seattle Blog
about 11 hours
WEEK AHEAD: West Seattle pickleball/tennis meeting Tuesday; new info online now
As first reported here two and a half weeks ago, Seattle Parks decided to have another round of community meetings before finalizing its “outdoor racquet-sports strategy,” and that meeting – the first one in West Seattle – is coming up at 6:30 pm Tuesday (June 23) at Dakota Place Park (California/Dakota). In advance of that, […]
West Seattle Blog
about 13 hours
One way to tackle Puget Sound pollution: See what RainWise is all about
Story and photos by Torin Record-Sand Reporting for West Seattle Blog On this first day of summer, sunny and dry, you might have trouble remembering the record rainfall of just a few weeks ago. Whether we see serious summer rain or not, this is a good time to think about planning for the the inevitably […]
Davy Jones Locker Room
about 15 hours
F Bobby McMann re-signs in Seattle for 6 year deal!
TIME TO GET MCMANNLY The Kraken announced today they have re-signed Bobby McMann for 6 years for $5.75 million a year. BOBBY'S STAYING IN SEATTLE! 🙌The #SeaKraken have agreed to terms with forward Bobby McMann for a 6-year deal. pic.twitter.com/9nQzDRSqif— Seattle Kraken (@SeattleKraken) June 21, 2026 McMann came over in a trade from the Maple Leafs, where he immediately made a name for himself due to the sheer amount of goals he scored…while also infuriatingly being on a team that could not actively make any gains after he scored. That said, he’s been nothing but a phenomenal player for the Kraken; finishing with 14 points in 18 games. Extremely solid dude. McMann’s contract will bring him to his 36th year in the NHL, and while that definitely is…something, I think having a player like McMann is a net positive for the Kraken. They desperately need players who are willing to go to the net, and Bobby McMann, above all else, is willing to do that. If nothing else, he can be an example for others in his later years. For now? Let’s get him back at nearly a point per game pace and have some fun. Welcome Bobby back to The Deep!
West Seattle Blog
about 16 hours
SEEN OFF WEST SEATTLE: Almost-annual algae bloom, resembling but NOT a spill
Thanks to Chris Frankovich for the photo from The Arroyos, where what is almost certainly the almost-annual algae bloom has shown up. We’ve reported on similar sights most years since the early 2010s; it’s usually a type of algae known as Noctiluca. Experts say it’s not usually toxic – this isn’t what is meant by […]
