Picking a player for the top spot was a hard one. Our number two player has become the best Polish prospect of the decade. Ultimately, this list is about projecting who is the national team’s future, and number one is already the team’s star. This means player number two will have to wait one more year for the top spot. 

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.

Rank – Player Name (Position), Age During Next Hockey Season, Team (Ranking in 2022, change in rankings) 

2 – Krzysztof Maciaś (F), 19, HC Vítkovice U20, (6, +4) 

The hype train was in full swing for Maciaś coming into the year. That train would be off the rails by the end of the season. In his aged 18 season, the young forward was a force in Czechia. He dominated the junior leagues, and his performance earned him senior hockey call-ups. Those senior hockey call-ups are rare for Polish players and a crucial step in development that many Poles who are abroad usually don’t receive. On top of all that, he led Poland’s junior teams on the international stage and ended the year with some off-season headlines. 

Let’s start with the club season. When I ranked him sixth last year, my final thought was, “If he improves on his Czechia U20 season and gets those small professional chances, I could see that NHL prospect door opening up.” He improved in his junior season big time and was consistently the top producer for HC Vítkovice U20. He led the team in scoring with 54 points (29G-25-A-54PTS) in 46 games. His 54 points were ninth among all skaters in the U20 league, while his 24 goals were fourth. It should be no surprise that 60% of his production matches went on to become Tipsport Extraliga, or a stronger league, regular skater. 

Top Polish prospect Krzysztof Macias made his debut in the Tipsport Extraliga. The 18-year-old scored his first career goal as HC Vítkovice defeated HC Oceláři Třinec 5-3. Three Polish players appeared in the match. pic.twitter.com/NMyplTdFMX

— Polish Puck (@PolandHockey) September 25, 2022

Early in the year, Maciaś got a chance with the big club and would play for HC Vítkovice throughout September. He scored once on five shots in five games despite limited ice time. He was one of 18 players his age to appear in the Exraliga this year, and only three of those players scored a goal. He would get loaned to Draci Šumperk in the Chance Liga late in the year. There, he would get three more professional games going pointless but posting ten shots on goal. It was a solid audition for a young player looking to break into professional hockey. 

On the international stage, it was also a banner year for the former Podhale Nowy Targ youth player. At the U20 Division 1 Group B World Championships, Macias led team Poland and the tournament with 10 points (7G-3A-10PTS). He and his brother were a force on the powerplay, combining for several goals. He was obviously named the best player on team Poland. His international year wouldn’t end there, as the senior team called him up. He would play in seven non-IIIHF matches and scored five goals. Three of those goals came in a hattrick performance versus Latvia. He was among the final cuts for Poland’s roster for the World Championships. It’s a cut that I imagine will be much harder to make this year. 

Macias showed off every facet of his game this year, especially how good of a goal scorer he is. That shot can be lethal due to his accuracy and power. The Podhale native will provide scoring depth no matter where he is in the lineup. All the skills and traits are there for Macias to be great at the top levels of hockey. This offseason was going to be huge for him. He initially signed a professional contract with HC Vítkovice, but that deal contained an out clause for North American junior opportunities. One of those would come in the Canadian Hockey League import draft. Macias would be selected in the first round by the Prince Albert Raiders of the Western Hockey League. He was the first Pole selected in the CHL import draft since 2003, when the Vancouver Giants selected Marcin Kolusz. Macias is the future of Polish hockey. His strong start in the WHL makes that even more definitive. It will be exciting to watch him this year, as I don’t believe the NHL draft is entirely out of the question yet. Even without that, I think Macias is a lock to play at a level no Polish player has reached in a long time.

Next Part: Player 1

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