We are kicking off our annual top 80 men’s prospect rankings. Both the men’s and women’s rankings are the biggest projects I have each season at Polish Puck. As we talk to plenty in the hockey world, review countless hours of film, and break down every statistic to try and build a comprehensive list detailing the future of Polish hockey. This year saw 14 players that received a top 80 ranking depart the list due to aging off, retiring, or not playing the minimum five games in 2023. That is a lower number of departures than usual, making plenty of choices very difficult. We also see the most players at the age of 16 on the list, as there are a few major prospects coming for Poland. Let’s start the list with the largest part and our first 40 players. Right now, the list is still very fluid as the gaps between players are not yet that large.
Players had to be under the age of 23 and at least 16 years old on June 1st, 2023. We are only judging play that occurred before that date as well. Players are evaluated based on a combination of career history, current play, and potential. Skaters must have played at least five games to be considered. While most of the ranking is my opinion, numerous Polish hockey people contributed their thoughts on players. 188 players were considered for the list and reviewed. Eighty players received a ranking.
Honorable Mentions in Alphabetical Order: Dominik Kasprzyk (F), Kacper Łukawski (D), Michal Nawrot (F), Sebastian Wicher (F), Maksymilian Kura (G), Szymon Kielbicki (F), and Tomasz Marzec (D).
Rank – Player Name (Position), Age During Next Hockey Season, Team (Ranking in 2022, change in rankings)
80 – Jakub Musioł (F), 19, SMS PZHL Katowice, (NR)
Musioł kicks off our list with a debut. The Janow junior product moved to the SMS PZHL Katowice program this year, posting 39 points (15G-24A-39PTS) in 33 games. This was tied for third in points among all U20 skaters in the Molodezhnaya Hockey League (MHL). He was also named to Poland’s squad for the World Cup of University Hockey (WCUH), playing in five games.
79 – Michał Nawrocki (F), 20, Düsseldorfer EG U20, (48, -31)
Nawrocki played in Germany this past year, and it was the first time he spent a season in one country since 2020. In the top level of German junior hockey, he posted 10 points (2G-8A-10PTS) in 27 games. While the current junior league is not too old, there is currently only one production match that went on to be an Oberliga player. Nawrocki is slated to move over to the States for 2024 with the Hershey Cubs in the USPHL Premier.
78 – Patryk Napiórkowski (F), 19, SMS Torun, (NR)
Napiórkowski had an explosive year in the MHL with 39 points (20G-19A-39PTS) in 28 games. This was over double his total from last season and tied for third among all U20 skaters. This also earned him a call-up to KH Torun, and he played his first two Polska Hokej Liga (PHL) games.
77 – Kacper Malasiński (F), 19, MMKS Podhale Nowy Targ, (NR)
Malasiński didn’t have a major jump from his U18 MHL production but still finished seventh among U20 skaters in points. His 35 points (13G-22A-35PTS) in 29 games led Podhale’s MHL team. He also appeared in two PHL games for the club and recorded his first assist.
76 – Michał Cychowski (F), 20, Krefelder EV 1981 U20, (52, -24)
Cychowski is our second major drop from the German junior leagues. A major part of this is having more data and a better understanding of the DNL U20 and seeing how players with similar production at the same age translate to professional hockey. With 29 points (8G-21A-29PTS) in 33 games, Cychowski doesn’t currently project strongly at the senior level.
75 – Jakub Łoza (F), 18, UKS Zaglebie Sosnowiec, (NR)
After a couple junior seasons in Czechia, Łoza returned to Poland and broke into our rankings. The 6’4 forward posted 18 points (9G-9A-18PTS) in 23 games in the MHL but also appeared in five PHL games. His 18 points were seventh among U18 skaters in Poland’s first league. He appeared in a few exhibition games for the U18 squad but did not appear for the IIHF team.
74 – Kacper Opiłka (D), 22, Zaglebie Sosnowiec, (NR)
We have our first defender of the list as Opiłka returns to the ranking. He has solidified himself as a member of the bottom pairing in Sosnoweic, which is also his most likely ceiling. This year he played in 22 PHL games but also recorded five points (2G-3A-5PTS) in 12 MHL games.
73 – Filip Wiszyński (G), 20, UKS Niedzwiadki Sanok, (51, -22)
Wiszyński’s fall is less about him but the emergence of other goalies. Last year he finished tied for second in MHL save percentage; this year, he was tenth. He only dropped .004 SV% in that time, with a .901 SV% in 2023. Still a big believer in the young goalie, and I think he will start fighting for PHL minutes soon.
72 – Michał Jaracz (D), 21, MKS Cracovia Krakow, (74, +2)
Jaracz was limited and didn’t see too much action, but he did produce when playing. The defender posted seven points (1G-6A-7PTS) in 12 MHL games while also adding three assists in five appearances at the WCUH. He has re-signed with Cracovia for 2024, who will have a larger youth focus this season.
71 – Patryk Świerczyna (G), 21, KS Naprzod Janow, (NR)
Świerczyna makes the ranking after a breakout year in 2023. Last year the young goalie only played three games and finished with a .843 SV%. Taking over the starting reigns for Janow, he put up career-best MHL numbers with a .912 SV% in 17 games. He stayed hot in the postseason with a .929 SV% in six games. Świerczyna didn’t earn a PHL contract his offseason, but he is now definitely on clubs’ radars.
70 – Mateusz Kołodziej (G), 22, Polonia Bytom, (NR)
Kołodziej stole the show this year in the MHL with an impressive .926 SV% mark. It was second among MHL goalies and a career-best. He turned it up in the playoffs as well, with a .933 SV%. Kołodziej has proven to have the potential to make it in the PHL, in my opinion.
69 – Damian Kapa (D), 18, MKS Cracovia Krakow, (NR)
Kapa got some PHL experience in his age-17 season. He played in 4 PHL games for Cracovia, along with two in the Champions Hockey League. Kapa was mainly in the MHL with nine points (2G-7A-9PTS) in 23 games. He also made his second straight IIHF appearance with the Polish U18 squad.
68 – Jakub Michalski (D), 19, Jokipojat U20, (67, -1)
I am a big believer in Polish players going abroad, but it is not always the best fit. After a small run in Sweden last year, Michalski was in the second level of U20 hockey in Finland. There in 31 games, he posted one goal and two assists. He is currently looking to return to Poland.
67 – Tomasz Grobelkiewicz (G), 20, Polonia Bytom, (43, -24)
Grobelkiewicz moved up from the SMS Katowice program to Polonia Bytom. There he was a split starter with Mateusz Kołodziej. The 19-year-old goalie posted a .902 save percentage in 14 games, which was third among U20 goalies. The 6’4 Lodz native also received a few opportunities for the Polish U20 squad and was a final camp cut for the World Juniors.
66 – Michał Proczek (D), 21, Polonia Bytom, (80, +13)
Proczek was the player I felt deserved to be ranked higher after he had just made the rankings in 2023. He didn’t take a major step forward in 2022. That is true statistically as well, with 18 points (5G-13A-18PTS) in 30 MHL, which is two fewer points in two fewer games than last year. He did impress at the WCUH with a goal and assist in five games and some solid defensive play against older players.
65 – Mikołaj Szczepkowski (G), 20, UKS Zaglebie Sosnowiec, (70, +5)
It was a rough year statistically for Szczepkowski, but he continued to show a lot of promise in my opinion. He started primarily in the MHL and posted a .892 SV% in 21 games, but also got his first few PHL games. His big spotlight came at the U20 World Championships, where he was named the starting goalie. The 5’11 goalie was left out to dry a lot at the tournament but performed a lot better than his stats show.
64 – Michal Starosciak (D), 18, UKS Niedzwiadki Sanok, (NR)
Starosciak is a defenseman I think has a high ceiling but possibly a low floor as well. He doubled his MHL point production with 26 points (10G-16A-26PTS) in 30 games. This included a regular season above a point-per-game average. His 26 points were second among all defensemen in the league. At the U18s, he showed up better than last year, but it wasn’t a major jump. The two-way game is there, but he needs to play a bit smarter.
63 – Oskar Polak (G), 21, MMKS Podhale Nowy Targ, (75, +12)
Polak rebounded from some poor numbers last year and improved his SV% by .029 in the MHL. His .912 SV% was fourth among all MHL goalies. While his time in the PHL with Podhale was still not ideal, he performed okay in the rough situation. The 6’0 goalie seems ready to take over backup duties in the PHL.
62 – Kacper Prokopiak (F), 17, UKH Unia Oswiecim, (NR)
Prokopiak is my top candidate to be a breakout player in 2023. When this 6’5 forward puts it all together, he is really good. He spent some time at both forward and defense in 2023 while splitting his time between the MHL and Poland U18. He just signed his first PHL contract with Unia Oswiecim after 10 points (2G-8A-10PTS) in 22 MHL games.
61 – Filip Płonka (G), 21, UKH Unia Oswiecim, (37, -24)
Płonka did recover statistically after a rough 2022, with a strong .907 SV% in 15 regular season MHL games, but did struggle in limited playoff action. The same can be said about his short EUHL season, with a great regular season but poor playoff. Płonka did show though at the WCUH, there is still potential with great games against Czechia and Sweden. It is just hard to see him getting a proper chance in Oswiecim.
60 – Paweł Wybiral (F), 20, Polonia Bytom, (62, +2)
Wybiral was a player that made a move to Bytom like so many others on the 2022 SMS PZHL Katowice squad. He basically replicated his 2022 performance with 34 points (19G-15A-34PTS) in 32 games. The 6’0 forward also represented Poland at the U20 World Championships, posting two assists. A solid player who needs to start getting some tougher competition.
59 – Antoni Dziurdzia (F), 23, Cracovia Krakow, (NR)
Dziurdzia returns to the rankings in his final year of eligibility. He had his first full-time season with Craociva in the PHL, being in the lineup as both a left winger and defenseman. In 33 PHL games, he recorded the first two goals of his PHL career. He also appeared in all 6 CHL games. His ceiling is most likely in the bottom six.
58 – Jakub Onak (D), 17, JKH GKS Jastrzebie II, (NR)
Onak has seemingly become one of the most important prospects to Jastzrebie as they locked him up until 2028 when he turns 22 that offseason. The young defenseman played pretty much everywhere for the club this past year, including ten PHL games where he recorded his first assist. He mainly played in the MHL but also represented Poland at the U18 World Championships.
57 – Arkadiusz Karasiński (F), 20, Polonia Bytom, (NR)
The Lodz native makes the list after a 17-point jump in the MHL. His 40 points (21G-19A-40PTS) in 32 games finished ninth among all skaters. This earned him a spot on Poland U20 for the World Championships. A lot of good tools, but Karasiński needs a lot of seasoning.
56 – Szymon Kucharski (F), 19, MOSM Tychy, (NR)
Kucharski started to make some noise in his final U18 season but really dominated this year in the MHL. He finished fourth among all skaters in points with 45 (33G-12A-45PTS). His 33 goals were the most in the entire league and a big part of GKS Tychy signing him to his first PHL contract. I expect him to get a few PHL looks this year.
55 – Jonasz Hofman (F), 18, SMS PZHL Katowice, (NR)
We have reached the Hofman twins, and the hardest part of the list this year was ranking which Hofman twin would be lower. Jonasz comes in at 55 after a strong debut season with SMS PZHL Katowice. In 29 MHL games, he posted 14 goals and eight assists. He also represented Poland at the U18 World Championships, recording one assist in five games.
54 – Jakub Hofman (F), 18, SMS PZHL Katowice, (NR)
Jakub is our topped-ranked Hofman of 2023! Jakub got the edge with his goal and two assists at the U18 World Championships, where he shined against Austria on the powerplay. His MHL stats were slightly lower than his brother with ten goals and nine assists in 24 matches. It will be interesting to see where he and his brother play next season.
53 – Szymon Bieniek (D), 22, Virserums SGF, (11, -42)
This year the largest faller on our list, Bieniek, spent the past season in Sweden’s Divison 3, the country’s fifth level of hockey. His stats were impressive there, with 33 points (6G-27A-33PTS) in 28 games, but its just such a low level of competition. He is returning to Poland this year with Cracovia, and this is a make-it-or-break-it year for the young defensemen.
52 – Vasili Yerasov (F), 21, UHT Sabres Oswiecim (NR)
Born in Kazakhstan and played his youth hockey with Barys Astana, Yerasov came to Poland when he was 15. He has now acquired Polish citizenship and made his first appearance for Poland at WCUH. Yerasov was second on the team in points with seven (4G-3A-7PTS), which was also seventh among all skaters. He scored everywhere he went this year, with 39 points (18G-21A-39PTS) in 18 MHL games and then 49 points (24G-25A-49PTS) in 20 EUHL games. I hope to see him get another PHL shot with Oswiecim next year.
51 – Marcin Dulęba (F), 20, UKS Niedzwiadki Sanok, (78, +28)
A gifted playmaker who was only ranked in the high 70s last year due to a lack of games. Dulęba is right now in the rough place of being too good for the MHL but not fully PHL-ready yet. He went pointless in 23 PHL games but had 32 points (8G-24A-32PTS) in 29 MHL games. His 24 assists were tied for the most in the MHL among U20 skaters. He has re-signed with Sanok for the 2024 season.
50 – Jakub Blanik (F), 22, JKH GKS Jastrzebie II, (49, -1)
After a few years in Sosnowiec, Blanik returned to his home club. It wasn’t the best welcome back as the young forward still hasn’t found his place in the PHL. He went pointless in 17 PHL games but did record 31 points (12G-19A-31PTS) in the MHL. Size concerns have long questioned his PHL ceiling, and that ceiling appears to be lowering each season.
49 – Damian Ginda (F), 22, STS Sanok, (NR)
Ginda jumps back into the rankings after becoming a full-time player with Sanok. Another case of being too good for the MHL but just isn’t ready to make an impact in the PHL yet. In the MHL, he scored an amazing 46 points (20G-26A-46PTS) in only 22 games. His 46 points ranked third among all skaters in the league. At the top level of Poland, Ginda posted a goal and assist in 28 games.
48 – Jakub Wieczorek (G), GC/Küsnacht U17, (61, +13)
I might be getting too excited about Poland’s current U18 goaltending situation, but I do believe they have five of the best prospects the country has produced in a while right now. Three made our list, and the first is Wieczorek. The young goalie plays in the ZSC Lions junior system, one of Europe’s premier clubs. With their U17 squad this year, he was outstanding in net, finishing with only eight goals allowed in 12 matches. His 1.07 GAA led all goalies by .42. Wieczorek also got some time with their U20 squad at the U20-A level. He faces a strong battle to get time with the Lions and Poland, but all the reports we get on him are glowing reviews. He did get in his first U18 game last year for Poland, stopping 18 out of 19 in an exhibition match versus Hungary.
47 – Oskar Bajwenko (D), KH Torun, (46, -1)
The young Torun defender continues to earn his spot on the bottom pairings of the club. He played a career-high 31 games and recorded his first PHL assist and point. The Torun native also produced well in the MHL with Sokoly Torun, having a 16-point (3G-13A-16PTS) year in 17 appearances. Bajwenko appears to be a bottom-six PHL defender and should be steady on their blueline for years to come.
46 – Mateusz Majewski (G), 17, Kölner Junghaie U17, (NR)
The second of the trio of U18 goalies to make our list, Majewski has turned heads in the German junior ranks. It is a competitive goalie room in Kölner with Hungary U18 national team goalie Patrik Csala and German junior national team goalie Lukas Stuhrmann also in the fold. They are under the guidance of German World Junior goalie coach Sinisa Martinovic. At 16 years old, Majewski recorded a .875 SV% in 8 matches to lead the U17 squad and third best in the league during the regular season. He earned a few call-ups to the U20 squad but only served as a backup. He is in a good spot to develop, though his size may be a problem in the professional ranks.
45 – Kacper Ziarkowski (F), 18, Krefelder EV 1981 U20, (47, +2)
Ziarkowski continued to take steps in the German junior ranks, becoming a more regular part of the Krefelder lineup. In 17 games, he posted 13 points (5G-8A-13PTS). Despite the limited regular season action, his .91 point per game average was fifth among U18 skaters. Currently, 28.7% of his production matches went on to play at least 50 matches in the DEL. He will likely take a much larger role on the U20 team in the 2024 season.
44 – Aleks Menc (F), 19, HC Energie Karlovy Vary U20, (41, -3)
After spending a year in Sweden, Menc made the move to Czechia. He would split the year between HC Energie Karlovy Vary U20 and their B squad, who play in the third level of Czech U20 hockey. At the third level, he posted 21 points (12G-9A-21PTS) in 13 games. He didn’t have the same production success at the top level, with only one assist in 25 games. Menc was appointed to the Polish U20 team and scored one goal at the U20 World Championships. For 2024, the strong skater is on a tryout with Zaglebie Sosnowiec.
43 – Jan Krzyżek (F), 22, GKS Tychy, (39, -4)
The big forward with German roots didn’t see as much PHL action this year but still scored a goal and assisted on another in 13 games. He appeared in 12 MHL games showing he was too good for the second league with 21 points (7G-14A-21PTS). Krzyżek has the size and a strong shot but will always face an uphill battle to get more time in the GKS Tychy lineup.
42 – Dominik Kolat (F), 19, AZ Havířov U20, (24, -18)
Kolat moved from HC Poruba U20 to AZ Havirov U20 in the second level of Czech U20 hockey. In 31 matches, he produced 23 points (10G-13A-23PTS). That was only a one-point increase but in five fewer games from his 2022 season. Given the level of competition, I was hoping to see a larger jump in terms of production or a new level. From the league, barely any production matches even go on to play in the Chance Liga.
41 – Patryk Kusak (F), 20, HC Olomouc U20, (NR)
Kusak just misses the top 40 in his return to the rankings. He returned to Czechia with HC Olomouc U20 in the top level of U20 hockey. There he posted only one goal and three assists in 31 games. He was one of Poland’s best players at the U20 World Championships, with three goals and two assists in five games. Kusak was the hardest-working player for Poland at the event and showed strong skills away from the puck.
Next Part: Players 40-31
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