After this article, you will never hear me say again that it has been 22 years since Poland last competed at the top level of the World Championship. The team achieved what some called mission impossible and finally returned to the Elite. It was surreal to see Poland face off with top countries and NHL stars. For Polish hockey, it was a tremendous couple of weeks. There was a lot of interest inside of Poland, with the team’s efforts receiving widespread attention. Quite a few Polish players have received some interest from stronger clubs abroad, and we will have to track their movement this off-season. Poland also kept it competitive in this tournament and proved that Polish hockey belonged. The final goal was to stay at the top. Could Poland get it done?
Before the tournament, there was an idea that Poland was just happy to be there. It would be an easy win for every other team. I even expected Poland to suffer one or two blowouts. Poland immediately dispelled those notions as they took last year’s bronze medalist, Latvia, to overtime. Latvia would come out on top, but Poland grabbing a point caught everyone’s attention. In the next game, Poland took on a Swedish squad with 18 NHL players led by Erik Karlsson, Victor Hedman, and Rasmus Dahlin. This game was 3-1 until a late double minor saw Sweden strike twice on the powerplay. Still, seeing Poland hang in with a gold contender only fueled the hype. Gameday three saw Poland versus France, a match many saw as the first winnable game for Poland. A packed Polish crowd was loud to start, but the red and white came out slow and were behind 4-0 at the halfway point. A late comeback effort saw Poland surge, scoring twice, but there wasn’t enough time left, and they loss 4-2. It was a bit of a disappointment, but a game Poland was always supposed to lose. Polish fans only felt disappointed due to the team’s progress in their first two games.
The red and white were now halfway through the tournament and winless. Their next match with Slovakia was a slow but close game. The Slovaks took this one 4-0 in a dueling crowd battle. Two Slovak goals came in the final three minutes at 12 seconds apart. Day five brought up Poland’s other David versus Goliath battle against the United States. It’s a team with only two non-NHL players who are top prospects. Poland would strike first in this with a goal that lit the crowd on fire, but it was called back for offsides. The USA failed to strike until the halfway point of the game. The polish squad hung in there with a top country, and it came down to a 4-1 final. Gameday six was a matchup with Germany. The Germans scored eight goals in the previous two matches versus Latvia and Kazakhstan. Poland kept the game slow on purpose, while the Germans did a good job clogging up the middle. It was 3-0 late in the game, which seemed to be it, but Poland found a late burst of energy, scoring twice quickly to make it 3-2. Germany would find the net again to make it a 4-2 final. They were all good efforts by Poland, who made battles out of what people predicted as blowouts. Their 0-6-1 record created a do-or-die game vs. Kazakhstan to end the tournament.
It was a home game for Poland in Ostrava as the fans chanted Polska before the puck even dropped. This was a game with two teams going to clash in how they wanted to play: Poland would be fast and aggressive, while Kazakhstan would be slow and conservative. Thanks to Kamil Walega, Poland would open the scoring with their first powerplay goal of the tournament. Kazakhstan would strike back soon after with a goal right off a center ice faceoff. A scoreless second period would lead to a third where Poland needed to score. Unfortunately, Kazakhstan took advantage of that desperation by scoring twice to win 3-1. Poland is going down to Division 1 Group A once again.
POLSKA *CLAP* POLSKA *CLAP* POLSKA
First off, the fans in Ostrava were terrific. Seeing so many make it out to support Poland was excellent. There were hockey lifers, casual fans, and people coming to their first hockey game. It didn’t matter the score or situation. The Polish fans were loud and proud. It was one of the stories of the tournament and earned so much praise from opposing players. As Zach Werenski of the Columbus Blue Jackets and Team USA put it, “Polish hockey is in safe hands with those fans and those players.” Poland’s games finished with an average attendance of 8,656, good for third among Ostrava teams.
Never Back Down! Never What? Never Give Up!
In this tournament, Poland could have packed it in versus their best opponents and have players rested. It may have been the best strategy they had when looking at the level of talent they were facing. Being trapped in their zone, Poland would use up a lot of energy. Poland never backed down or gave up on any game. The red and white made multiple games interesting by scoring late in the third. That tenacity and relentlessness made Poland challenging to put away. At late stages of the third, it was 3-1 team USA, 3-1 Sweden, 3-2 Germany, and 2-0 Slovakia. At one point, Poland was down 4-3 to Latvia, and the squad still found a way to score a fourth goal to tie it up. “When you say Poland and hockey, it doesn’t go hand in hand all the time, but they’re a good hockey team” – Erik Karlsson, Pittsburgh Penguins and Team Sweden defenseman.
Maciasmania
The hype was already real for Poland’s youngest roster member in Western Hockey League forward Krzysztof Macias. In the tournament’s opening game vs. Latvia, the 20-year-old scored twice for Poland for the hype train to explode. Throughout the tournament, the young forward showed some tremendous offensive traits, and he finished first on team Poland in shots with 16. “Macias is young, but I like that he looks like he wants to be a difference-maker offensively. Seems like he wants the puck on his stick. Tough to teach that mindset. Great that he has it.” is how Nashville Predators development coach Mark Borowiecki saw Macias’ effort after matches versus Sweden and Latvia. After an injury to Bartosz Ciura, the older of the Macias brothers, Kapcer Macias would join the squad. He was the youngest defenseman to represent Poland at any World Championship since Pawel Dronia in 2011. The young defender played well in two appearances. Both brothers are crucial to the next 10-15 years of Polish hockey, and it was terrific for them to debut at the top.
The Three-Headed Dragon In Net
Coming into this tournament, I thought it would be a two-person net rotation between Fucik and Murray. Instead, Poland showed off three goalies who could keep things competitive with big saves. As good as Poland played, they were outshot by massive amounts and often gave up plenty of high-danger chances. All three goalies stood on their heads at times with highlight reel saves. Murray was outstanding versus his first home in the USA, Fucik stood out against France and Slovakia, while Zabolotny did great work against a loaded Swedish team. Goaltending coach Marek Batkiewicz deserves a shoutout for having each player ready despite the breaks and rotation. Polish goaltending is in good hands over the next few years, and I am excited about what is next with the current depth and prospect pool. Murray held the wall for Poland vs. Kazakhstan but didn’t get much help defensively late.
The Powerdrain
I am happy with many things at this tournament, but there is one significant negative. The powerplay was dreadful. Going into the Kazakhstan game, Poland was 0-18 on the powerplay. They were the only team to not have scored a powerplay goal at that point. Poland would capitalize on their first powerplay to break the streak against Kazakhstan. Their final powerplay, when they needed it most, was back to disappointing. Teams didn’t see a point in respecting the Polish powerplay, so they rushed the defenders and quickly cleared it. Poland often failed even to gain the zone or adequately set up. We have talked about this for years being an issue. It’s not just an issue with the Men’s senior team; it is with the women’s senior and every level of junior hockey. I don’t know what will break the dam; it happens in tournaments where Poland is the favorite team and when they’re underdogs. They must bring in skill coaches or make some ancient sacrifice.
Poland’s Gold Medal Game
The Kazakhstan game was filled with so much emotion and hype. To many other countries, the pressure and excitement seem dumb to them that this was Poland’s cup final or gold medal game. The goals of a non-top-tier hockey country are not the same as those of Canada, Sweden, the USA, etc. These tiny marks or progress are what you have to celebrate as time passes and the federation grows. Unfortunately, today, Poland was not ready for that progress mark. The challenge was there versus France and Kazakhstan; they played too inconsistently against teams that were just as hungry. Still, the most painful moments in hockey are the ones you learn the most from. Poland will be back and ready to go at this tournament soon.
What’s next?
It is the final thought every time I write my recap article. What is next? Poland and Great Britain are moving back to down Division 1 Group A. They will also see Japan, Italy, Romania, and newly promoted Ukraine. It is a familiar group for Poland. It will be nice to see a lot of old friends.
Regarding the roster, I have heard rumblings that this was the last dance for a few squad members. Poland has nine players who are 34 years old or older, which leads to having the oldest average age at the tournament. It is time for more young players to work their way into the roster. The future is bright for Poland. We will soon begin our annual prospect rankings for the country, and the talent level has risen every year. I will leave you with the best is yet to come for Polish hockey. This event did everything it needed to for Poland. We will see the sport grow in the country. How much will remain to be seen. I have already seen so much growth in my ten years covering Polish hockey, and I now look forward to the next decade with the significant boost of this tournament.
Quick Thoughts
- Dominik Pas had a great tournament, especially as a penalty killer. He was relentless on the ice. I expect foreign clubs to be interested in him.
- Marcin Kolusz passed Jerzy Potz for the fourth most games played by a Polish player at the World Championships. Even at 39 years old, he is still one of Poland’s most intelligent and best players.
- Wronka is still so fun to watch! He was a fan favorite among North American fans and the media.
- Kamil Walega had a great tournament. He was at his best offensively in Ostrava, creating a few high-danger chances. He is almost there in his development to be an offensive driver at higher levels.
- I will miss the professionalism you get at the top of the world for media the most. It felt like living in luxury for a bit.
If you want to keep up with all the Polish hockey action, make sure to follow us on Twitter @PolandHockey, like our Facebook page, and add us on Instagram @PolishPuck_. Also, support us on Patreon to help keep the content flowing!
Polish Puck 
Leave a comment