Poland has announced their head coaches for the 2025 IIHF season! Last season was a big year for the national team program, but the results were rough. Both senior teams were relegated, while the U20 team was saved from relegation in their final game. The men’s and women’s U18 squads were the only teams to medal, with a gold medal in Division 2 Group A for the men and a bronze medal in Division 1 Group B for the women. The U16 team maintained their momentum with a Riga Cup Championship to end the year for a second straight season. 

First, the federation announced that three coaches will stay at their posts. Slovakian head coach Robert Kalaber will remain the Men’s senior squad leader. He had the men’s team ready to go up against the goliaths of the hockey world at the Elite Division World Championship. Kalaber has led the men’s senior squad since 2021. Belarusian Andrei Gusov will continue to lead the U18 squad after winning gold and promotion from division two. Gusov has coached the U18 squad and SMS PZHL Katowice in the MHL since 2023. Former TLHK defensewoman Magdalena Jablonska will continue to lead the women’s U18 squad after winning bronze at the Division 1 Group B tournament. It will be her fifth season leading the team, as the 2025 tournament will be hosted in Bytom. 

The first change is that Canadian Joe Butkevich is out as the women’s national team leader. Butkevich took over the job mid-way last year in a surprising move but remained in Canada for most of the year. While he had early success at a non-IIHF tournament, the women’s squad was relegated to Division 2 Group A for the first time since 2017, read more in our tournament recap. Former Polish national team and long-time GKS Tychy goalie Arkadiusz Sobecki will take over the role. Sobecki has been the goaltending coach for GKS Katowice and GKS Tychy in the THL. The 44-year-old has been rising in the national team coaching ranks. He previously worked as an assistant and goalie coach for the Women’s senior squad and Men’s U20 teams. The D2A Worlds, taking place in Bytom from April 7th to the 13th, will be his first IIHF head coaching opportunity. 

Former national team forward Artur Ślusarczyk is returning to lead the U20 national team squad after a season away. Ślusarczyk led the U20 squad in the 2022 and 2023 seasons, barely avoiding relegation in both tournaments. He has also worked with Poland U18 and Poland’s World Cup of University Hockey team. He is replacing Ireneusz Jarosz in the role. Jarosz works as an assistant for GKS Katowice and serves as the video coach for the Men’s senior squad. Last year, the men’s U20 squad suffered a rough shootout loss to Croatia that seemed to doom them to relegation. Instead, they would pull off an upset against Italy to finish fifth again and avoid relegation. For the 2025 tournament, they will play in Estonia from January 11th-17th. 

In the final move, Bartlomiej Stepien will take over the U16 squad. The former longtime Polonia Bytom defenseman has worked with his home club’s U16 squad over the past few years and also served as an assistant coach with the U16 national team squad. Polish coach Tobiasz Bigos will depart the team, as the 38-year-old has accepted a head coaching job with the Ilves organization in the Finnish junior system. The U16 team will look to win their third straight Riga Cup in 2025.

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