We enter the top 10 of the rankings now! Everyone in the top 10 is a player already a key member of the national team or one I am betting on being a major part of it in the future. While the first forty features plenty of players likely to be good in the TLHK and contribute to the national team, the players in the top ten will be key to whether Poland continues to rise up the IIHF ranks.

Players had to be under 20 and at least 13 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 three games to be considered. While most of the ranking is my opinion, numerous Polish hockey people contributed their thoughts on players. One hundred fifteen players were considered for the list and reviewed. Fifty players received a ranking.

Players #50-11

Rank – Player Name (Position), Age During Next Hockey Season, Team (Ranking in 2023, change in rankings) 

10 – Nadia Ratajczyk (G), 19, Team Uppsala HC, (6, -4) 

Ratajczyk moved to Sweden after a great run at the 2023 U18s. She appeared with both the Uppsala senior and junior teams. She finished with a .922 save percentage at the junior level, 15th among all goalies. It was not always as smooth at the senior level as she finished with a .902 SV% in the NDHL but a .842 SV% in the HockeyAllsvenskan portion of the year. The stats don’t paint the whole picture, as the reports we got out of Sweden were very positive on the young goalie. Adjusting to a stronger league is always challenging for players going abroad, but Ratazjczyk is sticking around in Sweden for 2025. On the national team level, Sass likely has the number one job still locked up, but Ratajczyk could start to push for more minutes in the coming years. 

9 – Weronika Huchel (F), 17, Naprzod Janow,  (18, +9)

Huchel continues to be one of the quickest-rising players in Polish hockey. She continued to build on a great 2023 with an even better 2024. With 28 points (11G-17G-28PTS) in 20 games, she was a significant part of the rise of Janow in the TLHK. She was also a key part of Silesian Metropolis’s incredible season, scoring one and assisting on four in 16 games. To top it off, she made two IIHF appearances for Poland with call-ups to the U18 and senior national teams. While at the U18s, Huchel went goalless on 21 shots and picked up three assists. With a final year of eligibility, she could be the star of the 2025 U18 tournament. 

8 – Justyna Koszyk (G), 14, Naprzod Janow, (NR) 

The term prodigy can be thrown around a lot in today’s hockey environment, but I think there are two in Polish hockey that the women’s team can bank on. The first is Justyna Koszyk, the young goalie who appears to be a star in the making. At 13 years old, she posted a .966 save percentage in 10 TLHK games while adding to it in the playoffs with a .949 SV% mark. Those are incredible numbers regardless of age, but doing it as a 13-year-old is sensational. This is a player that wasn’t eligible yet for the IIHF u18 squad because she was too young. Koszyk represented Poland at the European Girls Trophy tournament and stopped 30 of the 32 shots she faced against France U16 and Slovakia Blue U16. The future is bright for Kosczyk, and she appears to be able to steal games for Poland U18 no matter the opponent. 

7 – Anna Kot (D/F), 20, Unia Oswiecim, (14, +7) 

Kot takes a big jump in the rankings into the top ten and is now our third highest-ranked defenseman, though she is often in lineups as a forward. Regardless of where she lined up, she was a force with Unia Oswiecim this year. In 25 games, she produced 51 points (30G-21A-51PTS), fifth among all skaters in the league. The biggest achievement in her season was receiving her first IIHF call up to the senior national team for the Division 1 Group World Championship. Kot didn’t play big minutes at the event, mainly centering the fourth line, but she didn’t look out of place when on the ice in the tough division. She showed a lot of good fight in the tournament’s final game versus Slovakia. On top of her skills on the ice, her good size and versatility make Kot a valuable asset to the national team. She will likely be a member of every senior team roster from now on.

6 – Matylda Stepien (F), 16, Stanstead Spartans M16 (W), (5, -1) 

After a year in Czechia, Stepien moved to the world’s hockey capital in Canada. The 5’7 forward joined the Stanstead Spartans, who compete in various leagues, including the Junior Women’s Hockey League (JWHL). The JWHL has produced 16 of the current 150 Professional Women’s Hockey League players, along with countless NCAA D1 alumni. It is a fantastic place to develop for Stepien and she showed off her progress at the U18s. She was one of Poland’s offensive stars at the event scoring six goals and assisting on two. She will be staying in Canada for another season, and I am excited to see an even better player at this year’s U18 tournament.

Next: Players #5-2

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