It is time to begin our annual ranking of the top 80 U23 player in Poland. Every year this list turns into a massive undertaking that seems to grow as we seek the knowledge of more people inside Polish hockey. As an overall take, I don’t think this year’s top 80 list boast as much high end talent as years past, but the depth of the list continues to grow. The first part of the ranking is always the longest article as we do the entire first half. This group of players features mainly older players stuck in that too good for the MHL not good enough to move up in the THL range or young U18 forwards that have done well at the junior level, but don’t project to have a elite ceiling. At this part of the rankings the difference between players is very minor and could massively flip within a month of next year.
Players had to be under the age of 23 and at least 16 years old on June 1st, 2024. 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 the ranking is only my opinion, numerous coaches, staff, and players contributed their thoughts on players. 175 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 2023, change in rankings). NR – Not Ranked in 2023
80 – Igor Augustyniak (F), 23, Polonia Bytom (NR)
Augustyniak was tied for fifth among skaters in the MHL for scoring this year with an impressive 57 points (20G-37A-57PTS) in 32 games. At 23, his time to make an impact and earn a spot in the THL is running out. The forward does have 63 THL games with Cracovia but only scored three goals while adding a single assist.
79 – Olaf Wlodara (D), 20, UKS Zaglebie Sosnowiec (NR)
After mostly training in Czechia with AZ Havířov, Wlodara has found a nice spot in Sosnowiec. He made his THL debut playing in 13 games with the top club while also putting up 10 points (4G-6A-10PTS) in 28 MHL games. The 6’2 defender has already re-signed with Sosnowiec for the 2024-25 season.
78 – Jakub Łoza (F), 19, Unia Oswiecim (75, -3)
The big forward signed a full-time contract with Unia Oswiecim in November after a successful tryout. With Oswiecim, he mainly rotated into the fourth line, playing low minutes in 14 games and going pointless. Before the transfer, he played in 17 MHL games with UKS Zaglebie Sosnowiec, recording six goals and six assists. The opinions you get from Poland on him almost entirely boil down to good size and solid to good skater. He is a player who needs to play a lot more minutes for development, and we will have to see if that comes from Oswiecim.
78 – Krzysztof Jarczyk (F), 21, MMKS Podhale Nowy Targ (NR)
Jarczyk has been a reliable young player for Podhale, being a point-per-game player in the past three seasons at the MHL level and filling in at the THL level when needed. This year, he set MHL career highs with 46 points (22G-24A-46PTS) in 31 games. He also got in 16 games at Poland’s top level. In our MHL season review, I named him the MVP of MMKS Podhale Nowy Targ. He has good offensive instincts and size at 6’2; one coach told us adding more muscle will be his key to earning a full-time spot in the top league over the next few years.
76 – Krzysztof Petryla (F), 23, Calvin University (NR)
Petryla makes the rankings in his final year of eligibility. Over the past two years, he has been playing in the third level of college hockey, ACHA, in the United States, putting up some big numbers with 121 points (56G-65A-121PTS) in only 64 games. The ACHA is not the strongest level. In fact, of his production matches, only two went on to play professional hockey. One played in the ECHL, and the other in Serbia; the other matches all retired after college. Petryla could likely find a spot in Poland at one of the top two Polish levels, but we will have to wait to see what his post-college hockey career holds in a few years.
75 – Michał Proczek (D), 22, Polonia Bytom (66, -9)
Proczek is one of those players I want to see receive a chance in the THL and soon, given his age. He has yet to make his THL debut despite being one of the better defenders in the second league. This past year, he posted a career-high in points with 26 (7G-19A-26PTS). Six of his points came in one game when Polonia Bytom blew out SMS Bytom in a 20 goal blowout. Twenty points is more in line with his MHL career average, but still a new high. Proczek also served as a coach in the Bytom hockey academy, helping with the youngest players.
74 – Eric Kaczynski (F), 21, Naprzod Janow (NR)
An American with a Polish passport, he is one of the few new imports to Poland to make the list after acquiring the proper paperwork. Kaczynski was a considerable part of the Janow MHL championship team this year, with 32 goals and 30 assists. He also got in six games with GKS Katowice early in the THL season. The Polish American has signed with Zaglebie Sosnowiec for the 2024-25 season, a rare move for an import to go from the MHL to the THL. If he can prove himself with Sosnowiec, he could be an option for the senior national team in a few years.
73 – Sebastian Wicher (F), 22, Polonia Bytom (NR)
One of the best offensive players in the MHL, Wicher, is among the young Polish forwards stuck between being too good for the hybrid second league and not having the suitable skill set that teams want in the bottom six of their THL lineup. Wicher only played in 20 games this year but was always on the box score with 14 goals and 13 assists.
72 – Ihnat Kashalevich (D), 17, MOSM Tychy (NR)
Born in Belarus and developed in the Dinamo Minsk system, the young defender exceeds most in his own zone. A part of the MOSM Tychy system the past couple of seasons, he played in 23 MHL games this past year, scoring three goals and assisting on nine. All he has done is win over the past two years in Poland, picking up a U16 championship in 2023, a 2024 Poland U18 championship, and a U18 gold medal for team Poland. He had some really nice rushes with the puck while killing penalties for Poland at the U18s. I don’t doubt that he’ll be a major riser next year.
71 – Mateusz Majewski (G), 18, Kölner Junghaie U20 (46, -25)
Judging young goalies is always extremely hard and Majewski’s big drop is more due to a lack of games played than talent. In 2024, Majewski only appeared in four club matches, playing 95 minutes and facing 26 shots. German junior national team goalie Lukas Stuhrmann and Hungary junior national team goalie Patrik Csala took almost all of the time in the crease for Kolner. In looking at next year, Stuhramman will return but also get some senior hockey time. Csala will be moving to the NAHL in the USA. Majewski will likely have a much more significant role in net for 2025 and jump back up the rankings. In his lone start for Poland U18, the Puck native posted a 25-save shutout versus Italy U17.
70 – Adrian Ziober (F), 17, SMS PZHL Katowice (NR)
Born in Ireland, Ziober has developed nicely in the Oswiecim system. This past year, he was a member of the SMS PZHL Katowice program along with Team Poland U17, which competed in Czechia. He made his IIHF debut for team Poland at the Division 2 Group A U18 World Championship, scoring once and assisting on two goals. He will look to help keep Poland up in Division 1 after assisting them to win gold and promotion this past year.
69 – Filip Wojciechowski (D), 17, SMS PZHL Katowice (NR)
The run of Poland U18 continues as U18 players usually start towards the bottom of our U23 rankings. Wojciechowski is a solid defender in his zone and has shown some excellent two-way traits. He played a lot of hockey this year with JKH GKS Jastrzebie II, SMS PZHL Katowice, Team Poland U17, and the Polish U18 squad. Playing as much as possible for a defender is tremendous, and that experience showed a lot as the U18s went on.
68 – Sebastian Wojciechowski (F), 18, JKH GKS Jastrzebie II (NR)
One of the senior members of Poland U18, Wojciechowski, had a great year internationally and on the club level. The 6’0 “forward was fourth on Jastrzebie in MHL points with 19 (14G-5A-19PTS). At the U18s for team Poland, he scored two goals and two assists while finishing with a plus-nine rating. He was a consistent producer for team Poland during non-IIHF games throughout the year.
67 – Oskar Bajwenko (D), 23, Sokoly Torun (47, -20)
One of the major fallers of the year, Bajwenko, looked to be cementing himself as part of the Torun defense last year but didn’t earn as many chances in 2024. He got in 14 games this past season, going pointless. He was a point-per-game player in the MHL with 16 points (7G-9A-16PTS). Bajwenko ages off the list this offseason, and we will have to see if the aggressive and physical defenseman can make a more considerable impact in Poland soon.
66 – Maksymilian Lisewski (G), 21, Sokoly Torun (NR)
Lisewski jumps on the list after a massive season in the MHL with Sokoly Torun. He was second among MHL goalies with a .928 SV% in his 20 appearances. He was an enormous part of Torun making the playoffs, and it was a shame he did not appear in the MHL post-season. He has already signed a professional deal with KH Torun for next year, where he will look to play his second-ever senior game and more. He likely will mainly be the starting goalie for Sokoly Torun again.
65 – Kacper Rocki (D), 19, Sudrets HC (NR)
Rocki took an interesting path for development in 2024. The young defender played in the fourth level of Swedish senior hockey with Sudrets HC. In 21 games, he posted two goals while assisting on another. He looked like a better player at this year’s Division 1 Group B U20 World Championship. Still, few players who play in Sweden’s Division 2 league at his production rate go on to any significant form of professional hockey. His development will be exciting to follow, as he likely will still find a place in Poland as Szymon Bieniek did after playing a year lower in Sweden’s Division 3. Rocki has signed with Sanok for the 2025 season.
64 – Kacper Ziarkowski (F), 19, Krefelder EV 1981 U20 (45, -19)
Players from the DNLU20 are hard to judge, and the results are very mixed for Polish alums of the top German junior league. In 47 games this year, he recorded 17 points (7G-10A-17PTS). Of his production matches, only three players did not make it to the level of a regular Oberliga forward. His matches do peak with three players becoming regulars in the DEL2. 17 points ranked eighth among all skaters on Krefelder EV 1981 U20. He will be in contention for Poland U20 next year after appearing with the U20 squad in non-IIHF matches versus Hungary in 2024.
63 – Aleks Menc (F), 20, Zaglebie Sosnowiec (44, -19)
Menc has a lot of good traits, but he hasn’t taken a significant step in his development. Menc dominated the Polish youth ranks before playing some junior hockey in Czechia and Sweden. He made his THL debut this year with Zaglebie Sosnowiec, going went pointless in 21 games. He scored six goals with the city’s MHL team while assisting on eight in 20 games. Menc did make Poland’s U20 squad for this year’s Division 1 Group B World Championship, posting a minus five in five appearances. He did have a strong game against Croatia, and you see a lot of good flashes overall in his game. Those we spoke to in Poland often highlighted a need for consistency.
62 – Patryk Napiorkowski (F), 20, Sokoly Torun (78, +16)
Napiorkowski just cracked the rankings last year and now takes another move up. The young forward scored his first two THL career goals while playing 11 games at the top level. He also had another strong season in the MHL, scoring 32 points (13G-19A-32PTS) in 26 games. He combines a strong offensive zone IQ with a quick and hard release on his shot. At the top level, finding space or time for good angles to shoot will require experience, and he signed with KH Torun for the 2024-25 season.
61 – Marcel Karnas (F), 18, STS Sanok (NR)
Karnas had one of the best U18 seasons of any player, earning a lot of praise across Poland. His hockey IQ aligns with a nice blend of size and skill, often highlighted by those we spoke to in Poland. He split time between Sanok and SMS Torun. In the MHL, he had 22 points (13G-9A-22PTS) in 19 games, giving him a 1.16-point per-game average, which was third among U18 players. He also got an extended run with STS Sanok, appearing in 19 games, making him one of only four U18 players in the THL to play above ten matches. This year, he was a beast with the U18 squad, producing at a point-per-game pace at non-IIHF events while adding two assists at the Division 2 Group A U18 World Championship. At 18, I expect him to rocket up the rankings, and he should be on Poland U20 next year.
60 – Wiktor Zajac (F), 17, SMS PZHL Katowice (NR)
Another member of Poland’s U18 gold-winning squad, Zajac, put up points wherever he went this past season and was a key member of SMS PZHL Katowice, Team Poland U17, and the Polish U18 squad. He was a point-per-game player at the U18s with five points (2G-3A-5PTS). I am excited to see the young 6’2 forward start taking on some better competition.
59 – Adam Sawicki (F), 18, SMS Torun (NR)
Sawicki was one of the veteran leaders on that U18 gold-winning team. His offensive awareness on the powerplay impressed me, and he finished the tournament with three goals and three assists. He almost doubled his MHL production from 10 points to 18 (11G-7A-18PTS), placing him in a tie for 15th among U18 skaters. All year he was consistently one of Poland’s best U18 forwards on the international stage.
58 – Jakub Michalski (D), 20, MMKS Podhale Nowy Targ, (68, +10)
Michalski spent last year all in Poland after bouncing between foreign and Polish junior league the previous few seasons. The young defender split his time between Podhale’s THL and MHL clubs. He went pointless in 13 THL games but was over a point-per-game player in the MHL with 20 points (8G-12-A-20PTS) in 18 appearances. He served as the assistant captain for Poland at the U20 D1B World Championship. His game against Italy was his strongest of the tournament. The young defender is too good for the MHL but not good enough to be full-time in the THL. He dominates opponents below or around him in talent level, but the struggles are there when pressed against better and faster skaters.
57 – Karol Moś (F), 20, Naprzod Janow (NR)
Moś has continued to climb up the ranks after a strong year with Janow while also making his THL debut with GKS Katowice. The captain of Janow set a new career high with 34 points (17G-17A-34PTS) and was 13th among all skaters in the MHL, while his 17 goals tied for sixth. He also made the Polish U20 squad, recording nine shots at the tournament. He had a solid lead-up to the event, scoring two goals in non-IIHF play. It is a crowded youth roster in Janow and Katowice, but Mos found a way to stand out.
56 – Michał Jaracz (D), 22, Cracovia Krakow (72, +16)
Jaracz continues to climb up the rankings after becoming a full-time THL defender with Cracovia this year. He appeared in 27 games and showed an excellent return to form after missing most of the 2023 season. The 5’9 defender has good positioning, but his stick work was often poor in the THL. He had a particularly rough game against Oswiecim last year from my viewing. A good player is there, and more time and experience at the top should only improve his defensive play.
55 – Jakub Wenker (F), Sokoly Torun, (36, -19)
Wenker falls on our list after being a full-time player with KH Torun in 2023 but only appearing in 12 games in 2024. He remains one of the best forwards in the second league after scoring 24 goals and assisting on 26. Wenker’s 50 points tied for the eighth most among all skaters and led Torun. A bit undersized, Wenker is a fast skater with an excellent ability to set up his teammates. He should be able to become a decent THL bottom-six forward who can provide depth scoring.
54 – Wiktor Bochnak (F), 22, MMKS Podhale Nowy Targ, (40, -14)
Bochnak is one of the countless players on the list with the complicated problem of being too good in the MHL, but still looking for their spot in the THL. Bochnak had one goal in 24 games this past year in the THL with Podhale, giving him eight points in 90 career THL matches. He has remained a top MHL player, as seen with his 40 points (16G-24A-40PTS) in 28 games. Undersized and unable to find a more prominent role in the THL, his ceiling is likely as a bottom-six forward.
53 – Damian Ginda (F), 23, STS Sanok (49, -4)
Ginda takes a slight dip in the rankings in the final year of eligibility. He’s not the biggest or a particular standout in any area, but he’s not afraid to get physical. Ginda profiles in the THL as an okay all-around player for a bottom-six. This past year, he set a career-high in points with 4 (2G-2A-4PTS). I don’t see him being able to break into a top six role, but he did show off a lot of offensive production in his MHL days.
52 – Marat Soroka (F) 21, Podhale Nowy Targ, (NR)
A feisty winger, Soroka is another import who joins the rankings. A Belarus native with a Polish passport, he came up in the Yunost Minsk system before moving to Poland in 2022. He has been a full-time player with Podhale Nowy Targ during that time, putting up a handful of points in around 40 games a year. This year was a new set of career highs in games played (46) and points (4). With stronger production during his limited time in the MHL, we will see if his offensive skills will ever flourish at the top level. Still, his floor is a bottom-six forward in the THL.
51 – Dominik Kolat (F), 20, AZ Havirov U20, (42, -9)
Kolat broke out during his age-17 season with a big showing on the international and club sides. Since then, he hasn’t made significant gains in his production or competition. He has stayed in the second level of Czechia U20 hockey, with similar production results, hovering in the .60 to .70 point per game average. He was able to make the Polish U20 squad but went pointless in five games. He did have some flashes but was also rough defensively. Kolat will turn 20 in September of next year, and it will be interesting to see his next stop.
50 – Filip Sienkiewicz (F), 21, STS Sanok, (39, -11)
Sienkiewicz returned to Poland a few years ago after playing junior hockey in Connecticut. In his short THL run upon his return, he had three points (1G-2A-3PTS) in 11 games. Since then, in two years, the forward has had three points (2G-1A-3PTS) in 68 games. His MHL production hasn’t grown as much either, with 30 points in 28 games his first year to 27 points in 23 games over the past two years. He is just one who hasn’t taken the jumps as a player, and with being undersized, his game will need to see a significant improvement during his final U23 seasons for him to make it out of the bottom six.
49 – Szymon Maćkowski (F), 21, KH Torun, (24, -25)
A homegrown player of Torun, Maćkowski has cemented his place in their lineup. This year, he was able to stick in a lower-line role and find the back of the net three times in 35 games. A talented but undersized striker, he has been a team leader on and off at every stop in his career. I’m unsure what the ceiling is for him; I was impressed with his time with Poland U20. Coaches commend his work ethic and improvement. If he makes it to the top six in Poland, his puck skills will have taken big jumps over the next couple seasons. His floor is as a middle six forward in the THL who should be able to stick around for a while.
48 – Louis Miccoli (F), 23, STS Sanok, (32, -16)
Miccoli is graduating off the list but managed to have another decent year with Sanok. While his numbers are not eye-popping, with four goals and one assist over 33 contests, his 11 points over the past two years are tied for the eleventh most by a Polish U23 skater. He has shown a lot of growth in his 20s, and while his ceiling may not be a national team forward, he looks to be a perfectly fine middle-six forward with Sanok.
47 – Kacper Łukawski (D), 20, Unia Oswiecim (NR)
Łukawski is a player for whom Osiwiecim had more extensive plans, but he suffered a collarbone injury that kept him out of action until February. Upon his return, he played in 17 games, including 13 in the playoffs, helping the club win a THL championship. Łukawski appeared exclusively on the fourth pairing. He likely would have been vying for a spot on the U20 squad defense without his injury. The Oswiecim native is a strong two-way defender with good passing ability and should develop into an asset on the powerplay.
46 – Tymoteusz Petrazycki (F), 17, MOSM Tychy (NR)
Petrazycki has exploded onto the scene and only turns 17 in December. The young forward was born in Belarus and started in the Dinamo Minsk youth system. He played in Belarus until 2022 and moved to Poland for the 2023 season. Since then, he has been a goal-scoring machine. He was one of the top producers whenever he went with 26 points (12G-14A-26PTS) in 8 Poland U18 games, 36 points (15G-21A-36PTS) in 26 MHL games, and then finished it off with 7 points (6G-1A-7PTS) at the D2A U18 World Championship. His U18 run was awe-inspiring; his six goals on 22 shots led the tournament in scoring. He will be one of the most important players for the junior national team going forward.
45 – Marcin Dulęba (F), 21, STS Sanok, (51, +6)
An intelligent but undersized playmaker, Dulęba has found a starting role in STS Sanok. This year, he set a career-high in THL games with 28 and managed four assists, his first THL points. At 21 years old, his puck skills will have to continue to grow to find a permanent role in the THL in the long term. Even in the second league, he was never much of a goal scorer. Dulęba’s ability to set his teammates up for goals is so good that he should be able to find a long-term THL role despite some significant hurdles.
44 – Kacper Niemczyk (D), 18, UKS Niedzwiadki Sanok (NR)
He is a persistent and hard-fighting defenseman who does best in his own zone. Niemczyk was among the best defenders in the MHL last season. He also got an adequate run with Sanok, scoring his first career THL goal in 18 games. Niemczyk had a solid performance at the U18s, but didn’t get to display his defensive skills with the poor level of competition. Sanok will still be one of the teams with the smallest budgets for next season, and I hope he will be ready to earn a more prominent role on the squad. Only ten players since 1994-1995 have played more games as U18 defenseman, but Niemczyk was playing more out of necessity.
43 – Patryk Hanzel (D), 18, SMS PZHL Katowice (NR)
Next up on our list was the captain of Poland U18, who is a strong two-way defender. Hanzal has long been a leader in the Polish junior system on and off the ice. His 23 points (5G-18A-23PTS) were third among U18 defenders in the MHL. He led team Poland to a gold medal at the Division 2 Group A world championship, showing off solid offensive play on the blue line. He finished with a goal and two assists on 12 shots. He is a player that will need to start facing strong completion outside Poland.
42 – Mateusz Siekierka (F), 20, AZ Havirov U20 (NR)
A significant riser on this list, Siekierka has spent most of the recent few seasons in the second level of Czech U20 hockey. The second level is always hard to judge, but Siekierka aided his club year with a solid junior international season. With AZ Havirov U20 this past year, he scored 17 goals, 20th among skaters in the U20 league. For Poland U20, he tied for third on the team in points with three (2G-1A-3PTS) and was the lone forward finish with a positive rating. Next year, he is turning professional with Sanok, who could use the goal-scoring ability he showed this year. In one senior game this year with AZ Havirov, he scored once and assisted on another in the third level of Czechia.
41 – Szymon Dobosz (F), 22, STS Sanok, (NR)
Dobosz returns to the list and is one of the most controversial players with vastly different opinions from those in Poland. He is often commended for his defensive skills as a forward, while others will point to his lack of offensive production and injury woes. The forward is unlikely develop into a top producer, but his defensive awareness is elite, which is impressive, especially for his age. He could carve out a role similar to Filip Starzynski’s with team Poland. Coming into the year Dobosz had two assists in 57 career THL games, in 2024 he posted three assists in 27 games.
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