Poland earned their spot in this tournament by winning gold and promotion from Division 2 Group A in 2024. While its a result to be proud of, D2A gold was a somewhat familiar event for the country. Of the five D2A events the white and red have played in since 2015, they won gold three times. The big hurdle for Polish players was staying up in Division 1 Group B. Of their four D1B tournaments since 2015, Poland finished last each time. That constant back-and-forth of divisions is where the U18 squad has been. With a team loaded with depth, could Poland finally stay in Division One?
Poland traveled to Lithuania for the tournament and would see a schedule with many familiar rivals. Game one was against Japan, a team they played during their exhibition season. Japan was the team relegated from Division 1 Group A last year, so they came in as one of the favorites for this year. Poland showed immediately they were a different junior squad from the past with a 4-1 win. The white and red would keep their momentum going and dispatch the youngest country in the tournament, Estonia, with a 5-1 victory.
Game three would be the most challenging game of the tournament against France. France is another country that has previously been a regular team in the higher group, even winning a bronze medal in 2022. It would be a back-and-forth game with each team trading the lead multiple times. Fittingly, there would be no winner in regulation or overtime; instead, it all went down to a shootout. Tobiasz Jaworski would stop four of the French shots, while Majkowski and Zajac scored, giving Poland their third win.
With their win, Poland had already secured their place in Division One for 2026. But the goalposts had been shifted; with that win, the white and red were at the top of the standings. It also meant they already had a chance to clinch gold and promotion with a win versus the host.
Host Lithuania was considered the group favorite and had been building a strong roster. In my preview, it was even the game that I didn’t give Poland a strong chance in. Lithuania also desperately needed to win this game to stay in the competition; the host had been a bit inconsistent during the first three matches. After an even first period, Poland took control in the second and start of the third. With five minutes to go, Poland was up 3-1, and Lithuania would pull their goalie on the power play. Just 40 seconds later, Lithuania scored to pull the game within one. It’s a rough spot to be in. In recent years we have seen the U20 program fall apart in these crucial moments when the pressure is on and the other team has a numbers advantage. Instead, Poland kept their composure, didn’t allow open lanes, and was able to keep breaking out the puck. They took down the host 3-2 to secure gold and promotion to Group A on just day four of the tournament.
For the final game, there were no stakes. Poland went with a lighter lineup, giving their second and third goalies chances. It would be the first dropped game of the tournament with a 5-3 loss to South Korea. In the final period it was great to see the squad not give up and score three goals. Poland became the first team since Hungary in 2014 to earn back-to-back promotions at the men’s U18 level.
First Time Ever
With Poland U18’s promotion to Division 1 Group A, this will be the first time Poland has ever played at this level. The IIHF split its U18 competitions into two groups, higher (A) and lower (B), starting in 2012. Prior the IIHF had two parallel groups for the lower divisions. Poland’s best finish then was a silver medal in 2009. Until now, Poland had never finished higher than fourth in Group B in the current division format. It’s a fantastic achievement for the junior national team and took a complete team effort.
A Complete Team
Before this tournament, I said this team didn’t have an NHL prospect superstar who would be the team’s hero. What this team did have was depth that should get people excited. They showed that at this event. Every player was able to contribute and provide value. They all seemed to flow together, having great chemistry and moving the puck well. If someone made a mistake, they were able to recover, or the rest of the team played their positioning right, so opponents were not often able to capitalize on it. Only one player from Poland finished in the top 15 in scoring, Jakub Janik, who was sixth with seven points. All but four players on Poland recorded a point, 13 skaters put up multiple points.
Jaworski Shuts the Door
Poland has an extremely packed goaltending room right now, and Tobiasz Jaworski now adds to it. He was named the best goaltender of the tournament and posted a .931 SV% in his four appearances. It was a great event and made me believe that Jaworski will be in the battle for the U20 starter role next year. He does need to work on lateral movement, but his size and fantastic positioning more than make up for it.
Gusov’s Great Job
When Andrei Gusov took over the U18 program in 2023, his squad beat an Austrian team that featured an NHL draft pick and later went on to win D1B gold. It showed that the ceiling could be a Polish team that competes in Group B under him. Now, just two years later, Poland has won gold and is moving up to Group A. He has this group playing such strong and structured hockey, and it’s the best I’ve seen from Polish juniors in my time. It’s a credit to Gusov and his whole staff. It’s also a credit to all those who have been part of Poland’s U16 team in recent years and those working to build up Poland’s youth hockey programs. For example, eight players on this squad were a part of the Zietara Polish Eagles program. There is still a lot of work to do, but this achievement shows things are going in the right direction.
What’s next?
For Poland U18, they move on to play a higher level of competition in the next group. We don’t yet know Poland’s opponents, as the 2025 Group A and top division events haven’t taken place yet. It will usually feature multiple future NHL draft picks and players that appear in top junior leagues from around the world. It will be a great experience and an exposure opportunity for Poles.
On the downside, this is a Polish team that will lose most of its roster as they move on to the next age group. Only Leon Stryczek, Radoslaw Kot, and Wiktor Tanczyk are eligible to return for next year. That will be a lot of players making their U18 debut for Poland at a top level. We will get our first look at how the team might approach 2026 in May at the U18 Elite Cup in Slovakia. Poland will send a U17 roster to the event. Some interesting names on the roster include Adam Kubat, Borys Dawid, Jan Matera, Jeremi Prokurat, and Nikita Panasiuk.
For the rest of their roster, they move up to the Poland U20 squad that suffered another disappointing result. Four members of this U18 squad represented Poland at the U20 event this year. In my recap of the U20 performance, I expressed a lot of concern for Poland U20 next year. There is no Lewandowski, Lyszczarczyk, or Macias on the horizon who can carry Poland U20 as needed in the past. This roster proved that Poland can be a complete team at this level and doesn’t need a superstar to carry. It has me hoping that with the right roster and coach, we can see Poland U20 make the D1A jump for the first time since 2013.
Quick thoughts
- Jakub Janik was named Poland’s best player in this tournament. He led the squad with six goals and an assist for seven points. He showed off a great shot, but also scored this crazy goal.
- Wiktor Zajac had a massive game against France, scoring twice. He had a good tournament overall and did well in the faceoff circle when cycling in, winning over 70% of his 15 draws.
- Mateusz Majkowski was named the best defenseman at the tournament! To note, two of the last five defenseman to earn the honors have been drafted to the NHL. He recorded three points in five games. This gives him nine for his U18 career, which is tied with Pawel Dronia for the second most by a Polish U18 defender at IIHF events.
- Many parents and Polish players have told me how Polish hockey can be a confidence killer at times. Of course, it’s easier to have fun when you’re winning, but it was great to see Polish players enjoying themselves at this event, making TikToks and cellying so hard they broke the boards.
- This was the first tournament I had to use IIHF.tv, a project I’m skeptical about when it comes to how it grows the game. The streams were good quality, had replays, an IIHF scorebug, and I got great support from staff when I needed it. I give it a pass for my first use.
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Thumbnail Photo via IIHF.com
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