We have reached the top five of the rankings! All players here are already members of the national team or potentially the best hockey prospect Poland has ever seen. Spoiler: there are no changes in the ranking from the fourth spot onwards. Poland has four really special players there who are a part of Poland’s long-term future and will continue to help grow the sport as they rise the IIHF rankings.

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

Players #10-6

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

5 – Natalia Nosal (D), 19, Silesian Metropolis, (9, +4)

A part of Poland’s next defensive core, Nosal was a full-time member of Silesian Metropolis in 2024. In 23 games, she recorded two assists while finishing a -3. A great player on her own, she uses her size and strong skating ability to shut down lanes and keep the players from getting dangerous chances. She has some good offensive traits, especially her shot, but her play in her own zone makes her a star and one of the best defensemen in the country. Nosal made her IIHF senior debut at the 2024 Division 1 Group B World Championship. While primarily playing on the lower defensive pairings, she would not be on the ice for a goal against until the final game versus Slovakia. She is a lock for the national team going forward, and her role should continue to increase. 

4 – Maja Brzezińska (F), 19, Silesian Metropolis, (4, 0)

Brzezińska split her season between the EWHL and Slovakia’s top women’s league. Starting in the EWHL with Silesian Metropolis, she would play in 20 games, scoring five goals and assisting on seven. Her 12 points were part of a tie for the 7th most points by a U20 player in the EWHL, and they were tied for third on Metropolis with Malgorzata Zakrzewska. To end the year, she joined Popradske Lisky and would only play in eight games but made a massive impact with 13 points (7G-6A-13PTS). This put her fourth in scoring on the club despite the limited games. The talented forward made her third straight appearance for the senior national team, but went pointless in five games. Her strongest match came against Slovenia to open the tournament. She’ll be a key part of the Polish offense for years and could be a first-line player. 

3 – Magdalena Łąpieś (F), 18, OHA Mavericks U22, (3,0)

Łąpieś is a player who for most other countries, of Poland’s level, would be their number one prospect. She is a super-talented forward and moved to Canada for 2024. OWHL U22 AA is one of the strongest and biggest Canadian junior leagues with plenty of NCAA alumni. It was a big setup in competition for Łąpieś, who had only played club hockey with Polish squads. She finished the year with 14 points (6G-8A-14PTS) in 57 games. While it is not eye-popping production, I saw a much-improved player return to Poland for her time with the U18 and senior squads. Her final U18 performance was her best, she led team Poland in points with 10 (6G-4A-10PTS) as captain. Her effort against Norway impressed me as you saw a player doing everything to try and carry her team to an upset win. In that Norway match, she finished with two goals on 11 shots. Łąpieś will be a star for Poland. It is only a matter of time before she starts producing at senior events as she did at the U18 level.

2- Malgorzata Zakrzewska (F), 14, Silesian Metropolis, (2,0)

Regarding our production score metric, Zakrzewska breaks it every year. What she is doing as a 13-year-old is unheard of. Again, this is a player we have ranked number two for her first two years on the rankings, and she was too young to represent Poland at international events in 2023 and 2024. She was not too young to play for Silesian Metropolis in the EWHL, where she had nine goals and three assists in 20 games. Her 12 points were tied for third on scoring in the team while being tied for fourth among all U18 players in the league. Zakrzewska is the future of Polish hockey. She is already a brilliant offensive player and it is still so early in her development. During her club season with Naprzod Janow, she finished second in TLHK scoring among all players with 75 points (42G-33A-75). That is 75 points in only 21 games… She also dominated at the men’s u16 level in Poland, putting up 60 points (29G-31A-60PTS) in 28 games. I hope Zakrzewska goes abroad later in her junior career, as I think she is a player who could make it in the Professional Women’s Hockey League one day. 

Next: Player #1

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