Photo Source: polskihokej.eu

The U18s have already come to an end. The event marks the final IIHF junior tournament of the year for Poland. I was excited for this year’s U18 squad. I don’t believe the group had a Macias-level prospect to lead them, but there was depth in the group. This group had so many solid players with the potential to become a Macias-level player. It is disappointing that the team was relegated last year, as I believe this team would have been able to compete at the Division One level. As the heavy favorites, could this team live up to the hype and earn gold and promotion? 

Yes, they could! This tournament was almost perfect for team Poland. They started the tournament with the silver medalist in Great Britain. Poland jumped out to an early multi-goal lead but would watch it disappear due to some inflicted errors. Two late goals from Olaf Zachariasz would be the difference maker as Poland took game one 6-4. That would be the only scare of the tournament. Poland would only allow a single goal for the rest of the event while scoring 28 goals in the next four games. This streak featured a 10-1 win over Serbia, a 7-0 win over Romania, a 3-0 triumph over the Netherlands, and a final 8-0 victory over Croatia. Poland had already clinched gold and promotion on Sunday. 

A Balanced Team 

This depth was there for the red and white. Every single skater who appeared for Poland recorded at least a single point. Three defensemen were the only skaters not to record multiple points. I know it is division two, but it was great to see this performance out of Poland’s young players. All four lines were able to be sound defensively and produce in the opposing zone. It is hard to pick particular players to highlight as just so many had good performances. Drabik, Majkowski, McGovern, Petrazycki, Sawicki, and Zachariasz stood out among the forwards. Hanzel, Onak, and Prokopiak all had stellar performances on the blue line. If I have to pick one to highlight.

Zachariasz puts Poland up by 2 early. Great play here by Sawicki to find him wide open. pic.twitter.com/ypR8QcQFqA

— Polish Puck (@PolandHockey) April 17, 2024

Stolarski’s Star-Making Performance

Bartlomiej Stolarski had a great tournament. Again, picking one player to highlight is hard as the entire team played so well individually. Stolarksi was consistent in leading team Poland at each stop. He finishes with three goals and three assists during the tournament. His impact was felt across the event, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him jump into the U20 squad next year. He also earned the best player on team Poland honor at the event. 

Tyczynski, The Top Goalie

Poland’s goalies did not see much action at the tournament. Across the four games, Igor Tyczynski only had to make 52 saves. Still, outside some lousy luck against Great Britain, Tyczynski showed why he is Poland’s goalie of the future. In his final three games, he only allowed a single goal. A goalie can quickly get bored or lazy when facing so little shots. Poland’s top netminder stayed focused throughout each game and still had to steer off a few scoring chances. He led the tournament in save percentage with a .912 mark. 

Gusov Rights The Ship

Andrei Gusov is finishing up his second year running Poland’s U18 program. After being relegated last year, Poland needed to see a more disciplined and consistent group from Gusov. That happened. The squad looked great this year. Again, I know it is Division Two, but this team would have won some games in Division One. We saw the highest of what Gusov’s team could achieve last year with their win against Austria; we have now seen them put it together for an entire tournament of good play. I hope to see Gusov back next year. 

What’s Next? 

The final question we ask at the end of each five thoughts. What’s next? Poland will be losing quite a few players from this group. 12 players will age out of the U18 squad, with the key players being Bartlomiej Stolarski, Jakub Onak, Igor Tyczynski, and Rafal Drabik. A lot of Poland’s top players are returning and hoping to stay in Division 1. Mateusz Majkowski, Matthew McGovern, Olaf Zachariasz, and Tymoteusz Petrazycki are eligible to return. The biggest question will be who takes over in the net for next year. We will get a preview pretty soon when the U18 squad plays in the Elite Cup on May 5th and 6th. They will bring a roster of players eligible for next year’s tournament. Some interesting additions include goalie Juliusz Ceglinski and forwards Adam Kubat and Filip Kopytko.

Złote chłopaki🥇 Polacy najlepszą drużyną Mistrzostw Świata U18 Dywizji IIA w Sosnowcu🇵🇱 @zps_sosnowiec @Sosnowiecmiasto @metropoliagzm @SPORT_GOV_PL pic.twitter.com/64tWWXYx32

— PZHL – PIHF (@PZHL) April 23, 2024

Quick Thoughts

• Jakub Onak had a great tournament, finishing with one goal and three assists. He is a very special defensive prospect. He can make it outside Poland. 
• Tymoteusz Petrazycki came out of nowhere and was a goal-scoring machine. He led the team with six goals, tied for first in the tournament. He will return next year, and I’m excited to watch how he develops. 
• Olaf Zachariasz was the player with the highest ceiling for Poland at this tournament. He had a strong event, and I wish he would shoot a bit more, as his shot is excellent.
• Matthew McGovern plays with a lot of swagger, which is great to see. I have no doubt he’ll play outside Poland. 
• Congrats to Jakub Wieczorek on his debut. He finished with an eight-save shutout versus Croatia. The young goalie plays in the Swiss junior system, and I had hoped to see more of him. 
• Lukasz Sokol returned behind the bench for Poland as an assistant. I am happy to see it. He had previously done a good job as the head coach of the U18 squad. Him adding more experience to Gusov’s staff can only aid them.

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