It is time to finish our inventory series by looking at forwards. When I started covering Polish hockey, there were not many notable players up front. Aron Chmielewski was the only player in a league from outside Poland, and most prospects didn’t reach the top levels of junior hockey. Today, however, the Polish forward group is filled with skilled talent, and quite a few have been tested outside their home country.

Due to the number of forwards Poland has, we will only look at those who have played for Poland on the international stage, imports, and those outside Poland. Unlike with the defense and in the net, Polish forwards have remained stable in number, with imports helping fill in the depth. 

Notable Forwards Over 35

Player	Age	Team	League
Krystian Dziubiński	36	Unia Oswiecim	PHL
Grzegorz Pasiut	37	GKS Katowice	PHL
Maciej Urbanowicz	38	JKH GKS Jastrzebie	PHL

Poland included all three players in its World Championship squad last year. All three deserved their spots, but I would have argued for a few players over Ubranowicz. 

• As captain of team Poland, Dziubiński (36) is the heartbeat of the squad. He is a great playmaker and one of the best Polish players of the past 25 years. He showed he isn’t slowing down yet with six points in six games at the Champions Hockey League. Dziubiński has appeared for the national team multiple times in 2025.
• Pasiut (37) is right up there with Dziubiński as one of this century’s best Polish players. Even at 37, he is still an offensive machine; his Continental Cup run showed that with 9 points and 26 shots in five games. He has yet to represent Poland in 2025.
• Urbanowicz (38) has never been afraid to back down from any fight or battle in the corners. I was surprised by his roster inclusion, his first since 2018. The long-time Jastrzebie power forward proved valuable at last year’s Worlds. The only downside was his speed at the time, but his smart positioning often made up for it. He has yet to represent Poland in 2025.  

For Poland, this group has helped carry the team over the last decade, and their era is likely ending. When Dziubiński and Pasiut depart from the national team there will be a massive hole in the top six and leadership. 

Notable Forwards 30-34

Player	Age	Team	League
Aron Chmielewski	33	HK Dukla Michalovce	Extraliga
Adam Domogala	31	Saale Bulls Halle	Oberliga
Radosław Galant	34	Unia Oswiecim	PHL
Damian Kapica	32	Cracovia Krakow	PHL
Filip Komorski	33	GKS Tychy	PHL
Mateusz Michalski	32	GKS Katowice	PHL
Christian Mroczkowski	30	GKS Katowice	PHL
Łukasz Nalewajka	31	JKH GKS Jastrzebie	PHL
Radoslaw Nalewajka	31	JKH GKS Jastrzebie	PHL
Martin Przygodzki	33	HK Trebisov	Slovakia2
Filip Stopinski	31	Rostock Piranhas	Oberliga
Filip Wielkiewicz	30	Podhale Nowy Targ	PHL

The most surprising thing about this group is that only two members were on Poland’s World Championship squad. Although most players have not participated in an IIHF national team competition in the last three years, they have appeared at non-IIHF events. I don’t believe much of the list is in serious roster contention. 

• Chmiewlewski (33) was once the face of Polish hockey, but it has now been three years since he played for the country at a World Championship. He was a shocking cut during last year’s national team training camp, and his exclusions remain controversial today. National team head coach Robert Kalaber cited concerns about his defensive play. He has not represented Poland in 2025, and I would be shocked to see him with the national team this year. 
• Kapica (32) looked to be Poland’s next leader after a 10-point performance during the 2019 D1B World Championship. That was his last IIIF appearance for Poland. The veteran forward has battled many injuries over the past five years, but all that seems to be behind him now. He was a late cut from camp last year after putting up three points in four games. He represented Poland at the Sosnowiec Cup this year, scoring a goal versus Italy.
• Komorski (33) is one of the best goal-scorers in Poland. He has put up at least 13 goals every year of his professional career, except for one injured season. He just completed his second 20-goal season in a row. At last year’s Worlds, he scored against Germany. He has yet to represent Poland in 2025. 
• Michalski (32) is a reliable two-way forward. He has been a key part of the national team’s penalty-killing units. He suited up for all seven games at last year’s World Championship and picked up two assists. He represented Poland in 2025 at the Tamas Sarkozy EIHC Memorial Tournament in Hungary. He scored Poland’s lone regulation goal vs. Slovenia at the event. 

There is little to say about this group, as Poland has not relied heavily on them. Komorski and Michalski will likely remain on or in contention for the national team roster over the next five years. It would be nice to see Chmiewlewski or Kapica return. 

Notable Forwards 25-29

Player	Age	Team	League
Bartosz Fraszko	29	GKS Katowice	PHL
Patryk Krężołek	26	Zaglebie Sosnowiec	PHL
Mateusz Gościński	27	GKS Tychy	PHL
Bartłomiej Jeziorski	26	GKS Tychy	PHL
Konrad Filipek	25	STS Sanok	PHL
Łukasz Krzemień	28	Unia Oswiecim	PHL
Alan Łyszczarczyk	27	GKS Tychy	PHL
Krystian Mocarski	25	Cracovia	PHL
Dominik Paś	25	GKS Tychy	PHL
Adrian Paweł Słowakiewicz	25	Podhale Nowy Targ	PHL
Kamil Sadlocha	25	Unia Oswiecim	PHL
Radosław Sawicki	29	Zaglebie Sosnowiec	PHL
Damian Tyczyński	25	Zaglebie Sosnowiec	PHL
Ben Sokay	28	GKS Katowice	PHL
Mikolaj Sytyi	25	KH Torun	PHL
Patryk Wronka	29	GKS Katowice	PHL
Pawel Zygmunt	25	HC Litvínov	Extraliga

The largest group of forwards for Poland and who they will be relying on to carry them for the next five years. The major criticism of this group has been the inability to stick in stronger leagues. Some have had chances to venture out but it didn’t work out or they decided to stay home. Poland has also supplemented this group with imports in Kamil Sadlocha, Ben Sokay, and Mikolaj Sytyi (Sadlocha and Sytyi have received IIHF approval and represented Poland). 

• Fraszko (29) quickly became a national team star after debuting in 2023 with 7 points at the D1A World Championship. He played big minutes at last year’s Worlds and scored against France. He represented Poland once this year vs. Hungary. Unfortunately, he suffered an injury in the PHL semi-finals, which ended his season. 
• Krężołek (26) is one of the best goal-scorers in the Polish hockey league. His play can be a bit one-dimensional at times. His lack of defensive play earned criticism from national team head coach Robert Kalaber. Still, his 53 goals over the last two years are the most of any THL skater. His dynamic offensive play has earned him contract offers outside Poland, but he has stayed home. He represented Poland in games against Ukraine this year. 
• A versatile forward, Gościński (27) has been a busy player for the national team in 2025. He has played in all eight national team games during the non-IIHF season. The long-time GKS Tychy winger also has had one of his the best offensive seasons in the THL. 
• Jeziorski (26) was the player most missed last year due to injuries. He would have performed well at the World Championship. Despite being so young, he has already appeared in 500 PHL games with GKS Tychy. Jeziorski appeared with Poland this year in one match versus Ukraine, where he scored. 
• Łyszczarczyk (27) was once Poland’s prized prospect. His Canadian Hockey League scoring numbers will likely remain the Polish records. He also had some success in the ECHL. While he never lived up to the NHL hype, he has been a star in Poland, producing well above a point per game average. He is, no doubt, a lock for the World Championship squad. 
• I think Paś (25) will be the heart and soul of the national team after Dziubinski hangs up his skates. He is a hard worker, has a high motor, and shows excellent awareness in all three zones. A standard member of Poland in 2025, he has three goals already, including two against Italy at the Sosnoweic Cup. 
• The first of three imports in this group, Sadlocha (25), is the most high profile. He was born in Poland but grew up in the States. During his junior career, he played a handful of games with the USA Hockey National Team Development Program. After spending four years at Ohio State, he returned home to Poland, becoming a star for Unia Oswiecim. He has been approved to play for the Polish national team and scored twice in five matches. With great fundamentals and dynamic offensive skills. I expect the winger to be a part of Poland’s World Championship team in 2025. 
• Tyczyński (25) is a great playmaker. In 2025, he was among the leading players for points in the PHL. The rest of his game leaves a lot to be desired. He is not going to contribute much defensively and isn’t going into corners to win puck battles. It makes him hard to place on the World Championship roster. You can also fill the playmaker role with others who do more away from the puck. But again, the puck skills have shown up for Poland with eight assists in 11 games for the national team over the last two seasons. 
• Sokay (28) is the next import in this group. The Canadian forward went the NCAA route, playing four seasons with Niagara University. He spent a season in the ECHL and Scotland before signing with GKS Katowice during the 2024 season. The grandson of Polish immigrants, Sokay, is good in the faceoff circle and a solid skater, while not being afraid to go into the dirty areas of the ice. He is the kind of player Poland is missing in centering the lower lines right now. Sokay is still in the process of acquiring citizenship and won’t be eligible for the 2025 Worlds. 
• Mikolaj Sytyi (25), as he is now known, was the most surprising of the three imports to me. The Belarusian played in Russia for his junior hockey career before returning to home to play professionally. But since 2022, his home has been with KH Torun. During his PHL career, he has 127 points in 176 games, improving his production each season. He is among the many Belarusians who have acquired Polish citizenship since the war in Ukraine started. He has been a mainstay of the national team this year, playing in all seven games so far and putting up a team-leading 5 points.
• One of the most exciting players in Europe. Wronka (29) captured the attention of international fans with his speed and dangles at last year’s World Championship. The star forward has put up another fantastic season in Poland despite offers to go abroad. He has yet to play for Poland in 2025 but is a lock for the World’s roster. 
• Zygmunt (25) is the Polish player at the highest level of hockey as a part of HC Litvínov in the Extraliga. The gritty forward missed the first part of the year due to an offseason injury and struggled upon his return. He finished the year with four points in 31 games. Tied with his rookie year for the lowest point total of his career. He showed better in the Czech second league with 5 points in 10 games on a loan. Zygmunt represented Poland at the Sosnowiec Cup, scoring versus Slovenia. 

This is probably Poland’s best group of forwards in their prime in a long time. They have also supplemented it with quite a good imports. There is also a nice amount of depth that can fill in on the lower lines in a pinch. The group is good enough to help Poland stay above and compete for a medal in Division 1 Group A. However, if Poland is going to be able to stay and be taken seriously at the top, they still need to find a top-line complete player that this group lacks. 

Notable Forwards 20-24

Player	Age	Team	League
Adam Kiedewicz	24	Selber Wölfe	DEL2
Adrian Gromadzki	20	HC Dynamo Pardubice B	Maxaliga
Kamil Wałęga	24	Vlci Zilina	Extraliga
Krzysztof Bukowski	22	STS Sanok	PHL
Krzysztof Maciaś	20	Moose Jaw Warriors	WHL
Krzysztof Petryla	23	Calvin Univ.	ACHA
Igor Smal	24	GKS Katowice	PHL
Jakub Lewandowski	23	Northern Michigan Univ.	NCAA
Jakub Ślusarczyk	21	JKH GKS Jastrzebie	PHL
Mateusz Bezwiński	23	Cracovia Krakow	PHL
Mateusz Ubowski	24	GKS Tychy	PHL
Sebastian Brynkus	23	Cracovia Krakow	PHL
Szymon Kiełbicki	21	JKH GKS Jastrzebie	PHL
Tomasz Szczerba	21	JKH GKS Jastrzebie	PHL

This group is very top-heavy, with two big names, some on a national team track, and not a lot of depth. There is reason to be concerned about the number of forwards Poland may get from this group. Those concerns grow with the five-year outlook of the next group. These players will transition to the prime of their careers soon and be expected to lead the national team, but will they be ready? 

• The current ace of the national team, Wałęga (24), was one of only two forwards to play professional hockey outside Poland last year. This year he is among only 15 players who scored 20 goals in the Tipos Extraliga. After missing an earlier national team call-up, he played with Poland in the Sosnowiec Cup. He scored twice at the event. 
• Poland’s current top prospect, Maciaś (20) has been busy since the last World Championship. He attended prospect camp with the Florida Panthers, went to training camp with their AHL affiliate, returned to the Prince Albert in the WHL, and then was traded to Moose Jaw. Macias has seen a strong offensive year in the WHL. Moose Jaw is eliminated from the playoff race, so it will be interesting to see if Macias signs an PTO in the North American minor leagues or returns home to Poland after the season. 
• Poland needs more players in this group to break out, and Brynkus (24) is a prime candidate. At 24, he had his first 20-point PHL season. He was an active member of team Poland in 2025 and scored twice against Italy at the Tamas Sarkozy Memorial Tournament. 
• Kiełbicki (21) has been a huge breakout player. Although he never represented Poland during his junior years, he has now played seven games with the national team in 2025. His 30 points this year are 13 more than any other U23 player in the PHL. 

Poland needs more out of this group over the next five years. There are quite a few players to watch outside the top two. What will Lewandowski or Petryla do after their college hockey days? Can Adam Kiedewicz take his game to another level in Germany? How will Canadian Tomasz Szczerba develop playing senior hockey in Poland? Then there are plenty of those in Poland, where the question remains whether they can find a bigger role. 

Notable players U20 

Player	Age	Team	League
Maksymilian Dawid	19	GKS Katowice	PHL
Rafał Drabik	19	SMS I Katowice	MHL
Jakub Hofman	19	GKS Katowice	PHL
Jonasz Hofman	19	GKS Katowice	PHL
Marcel Karnas	18	STS Sanok	PHL
Krystian Lisowski	19	Ketterä U20	U20 Mestis
Wiktor Makula	17	HC Oceláři Třinec U20	Czechia U20
Matthew McGovern	18	HC Sparta Praha U20	Czechia U20
Tymoteusz Petrazycki	17	MOSM Tychy	MHL
Adam Sawicki	18	Boston Jr. Rangers	USPHL
Leon Stryczek	16	HC Vítkovice U17	Czechia U17
Bartłomiej Stolarski	19	JKH GKS Jastrzebie II	MHL

This group has some players I think will be repping the red and white one day, but I see no one right now doing it in the next five years. The U20 talent pool of players above 16 is bare for Poland, especially when looking for those high-impact star players. Some big prospects are generating hype for the following generations, the most notable being Gabriel Wsol. I look for Lisowski, the Hofman twins, and Petrazycki to contribute significantly in the future. 

Import Options 

Player	Age	Team	League
Ruslan Bashirov	27	KH Torun	PHL
Martin Kasperlík	31	JKH GKS Jastrzebie	PHL
Erik Ahopelto	28	Unia Oswiecim	PHL
Henry Karjalainen	29	Unia Oswiecim	PHL

Poland has already dug deep into the import pool here, so there is not much further need. But if Poland wanted to add more depth, there are some options. Rusland Bashirov (27) has played in Poland for six years, even spending part of his junior hockey days there. He owns a PHL regular season .82 point per game average and could be an interesting depth option. Martin Kasperlík (31) has been playing in Poland since 2017, recording 323 points in 398 games. He has Polish heritage and once tried to acquire citizenship to join the national team. Could the two sides maybe consider it again? Outside those options, it would be going for a home run and an extremely unlikely pick-up. If that were the case, I would target Erik Ahopelto or Henry Karjalainen. 

5 Year Outlook 

Poland is in a good spot for its forwards over the next five years. Each year, the position is where the most challenging choices have to be made roster and lineup wise. The national team lacks top-end talent but has more than enough players to succeed in division one. 

For a long time, there have been a few forwards in Poland that no doubt could have gone to a better league. Having players like Dziubinski and Pasiut remain key national team members meant Poland overachieved compared to what some may have thought when looking at the roster on paper. This remains the truth for several more players in Poland, with guys like Kapica, Łyszczarczyk, Pas, Sadlocha, and Wronka. Good offensive talent will keep Poland competitive at the Division One level over the next five years. At the top level, these players were not as effective. Poland only scored 11 goals at last year’s World Championship. It was the lowest of any country in the tournament, and if we’re being honest, there were some lucky bounces there. 

Poland should be fine for the next five years. But after that, it needs some players to step up. Macias and Walega project to be stars for the national team. Macias has a high ceiling and could be the elite-level player Poland needs. He isn’t there yet. Poland needs some U24 players to start becoming top-six forwards in the PHL over the next few years, or the depth concerns will come back.

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