Photo Source: polskihokej.eu

Usually around this time we’re covering the Polish men’s team at the World Championships. With Poland gaining a promotion to the Elite Division we now have to wait until May for the biggest event of the international season! Even though Poland has gone to the top of the hockey world that doesn’t mean there are still not plenty of connections to Polish hockey in Division 1.

Division 1 Group A

The Division 1 Group A World Championship will see two teams promoted to the Elite Division while one team is relegated to Group B. The event is taking place in Bolzano, Italy from April 28th to May 4th.

Hungary

Goalie Bence Bálizs spent a season in Poland after previously playing his entire career in Hungary. Bálizs posted a .921 SV% in 46 games with JKH GKS Jastrzebie during the 2023 season.

Italy

Canadian defenseman Jason Seed has the spent the last two seasons with Italian club Cortina. This allowed him to become an import for the Italian national team as they host the upcoming Winter Olympics. Before going to Italy, Seed spent three seasons in Poland. He started his adventure with Podhale Nowy Targ in the 2020 season and served as an assistant captain. From 2021 to 2022, he patrolled the GKS Tychy blue line.

Japan

Shigeki Hitosato has become a fan favorite in Katowice over the last two seasons. The forward made a strong first impression at the 2022 Division 1 Group B Worlds hosted in Poland, which led to him signing with Katowice. The Japanese national team member has been a key player for GKS Katowice as they have made two straight THL final appearances. The Tomakomai native has played in 115 games posting 48 points (18G-30A-48PTS), while also winning the 2023 THL Championship.

Co za piękny GOL❗Zobaczcie kapitalne trafienie Shigeki Hitosato z @GKSHokej 📽@TauronPE pic.twitter.com/4B1U61obZw

— PZHL – PIHF (@PZHL) March 6, 2024

Division 1 Group B

The Division 1 Group B World Championship is taking place in Vilnius, Lithuania from April 27th to May 3rd. One team will be promoted to Group A while one will be relegated to Division 2 Group A.

Estonia

It might be surprising to see so many Estonian connections, but they have become a popular import target for Polish teams. Mark Viitanen just finished up his second season in Poland and already has signed up for a third with GKS Tychy. The Tallin native previously played for Torun (2023) and Sanok (2024) before coming over to Tychy at the transfer deadline. Robert Arrak is a THL veteran already with three seasons under his belt. After being a leading scorer for KH Torun in 2022, he has played for Cracovia (2023) and Jastrzebie (2024). He has 70 career points (41G-29A-70PTS) in 134 games. Conrad Mölder served as the starting goalie for KH Torun during the 2022 season. His countryman and forward Vadim Vasjonkin joined him on Torun mid-way through that season. In a very brief appearance, Villem-Henrik Koitmaa appeared in two games for Torun during the 2020 Covid season.

Lithuania

Mark Kaleinikovas has cemented his named in Polish hockey history and will now look to do the same with his home country. Kaleinikovas scored the golden goal this year to help Unia Oswiecim to a THL championship. The playoff hero was in his second THL season after playing with JKH GKS Jastrzebie in 2023. Defenseman Kostas Gusevas spent the 2021 season with KH Torun appearing in 41 games. Ron Pasco the current head coach of Lithuania, a role he has been in since 2020, was an assistant coach with team Poland U20 during the 2018 season.

Zadecydował jeden strzał w dogrywce!@UniaOswiecim po 20 latach ponownie mistrzem Polski w hokeju na lodzie! pic.twitter.com/XN5n0znMNC

— TVP SPORT (@sport_tvppl) April 15, 2024

Netherlands

National team forward Bartek Bison has Polish heritage. The Amsterdam native played in the Western Hockey League in Canada during his junior days. He has played with Dutch clubs since 2020.

Ukraine

It is not a surprise that there are a lot of Ukraine connections. Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, plenty of Ukrainian players have made their way over to the Polish leagues. Andrei Deniskin just completed his second season with Unia Oswiecim. In his second year with the club, the forward won a THL championship posting 54 points (20G-34A-54PTS) in 57 games. Defenseman Filipp Pangelov-Yuldashev also just completed his second year in Poland with Podhale Nowy Targ. The Kyiv native played with Unia Oswiecim in 2023, before moving to Podhale last offseason. A fellow defender, Vitali Andreykiv, is his second stint in Poland. Andreykiv played in Poland with Bytom (2015) and Sosnowiec (2016), he returned to Sosnowiec in 2023 and has played in 90 games over the past two years. National team members Olexei Vorona and Vsevolod Tolstushko also had runs in Poland. Vorona appeared in Podhale during the 2023 season. Tolstuhko briefly appeared with Sanok in 2023 coming over at the transfer deadline.

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