There are insane stories every year in Polish hockey. I have covered so many ridiculous things, I could write a sitcom out of it. Whenever people ask me about the craziest moment, I always think back to a second league team trying to sign a dog, a team signing a Russian spy, a team painting their rink incorrectly multiple times, or the time the ice melted and players had to swim before the game was eventually canceled. A lot of these you just laugh off and say that’s Polish hockey. Life and the sport just keep on moving past them. 

When Poland made it to the top division last year, it felt like a page-turning moment. Thousands of Polish fans made their way to Ostrava, while hundreds of thousands tuned in on TV to see their countrymen take on the hockey giants of the world. Poland had attracted plenty of new sponsors. There was talk of a potential Poland vs Canada game in Poland to celebrate the federation’s 100th anniversary. Many coaches and scouts personally expressed their interest in Polish players. Polish hockey, for the first time in years, didn’t appear to be a middling program anymore. It felt like the white and red were back. 

What happened in 2025 can only be described as disappointing. Unfortunately, unlike the insane stories of the past, what happened this year is not something that can be laughed off; instead, it points to dark days ahead. I didn’t expect a sudden surge of millions into the sport, but I also didn’t expect Polish hockey to lose even more money.  Last year was a hockey celebration 22 years in the making; the next one might be another 22 years away, if ever. Welcome to the circus… 

The Money And Federation

Things in Poland are not going well at the top. The debt and financial issues are no secret. It is also known that the current PZHL president, Mirosław Minkina, is term-limited and will depart from his role. In recent times, Adam Fras has been positioned as his replacement by current leadership. I expect a very heated election, with multiple interested parties looking to shake things up. The divide between top club officials and the PZHL is growing rapidly, with many eager to push for an election much earlier than planned. Most notable was the spat between Karol Pawlik, director of Zagłębie Sosnowiec, and Mirosław Minkina due to their political differences. 

Whomever takes up leadership this summer will be on a five-year term and will have a huge mess to clean up. The size of that mess and how easy it will be to clean will be tied to how the white and red perform at the Division 1 Group A World Championship in Romania. 

Several sponsorship deals were terminated early, causing significant issues for the federation. Several problems arose between the Ministry of Sport and its sponsors furthering the issues for Polish hockey. I also wonder if Poland’s demotion may have contributed to one of their early ending agreements.

During the season, many leaders openly expressed that the financial situation was in a rough spot, and Poland might even have to cancel some matches or tournaments. The first to be threatened was the men’s trip to Hungary for a four-team tournament, along with games against Ukraine in Sanok. Both issues would seemingly go away quietly, but it would become clear that the funding issues were not fully resolved. 

In December, the PZHL announced it didn’t have the funds to send the women’s national team to Japan for the final round of Olympic qualification. In their statement, the team made a plea for government assistance. After a few weeks of back and forth, the assistance was granted, with Poland making the trip. If the national team cannot continue to find new sources of revenue, it’s only a matter of time before the federation has to take more drastic steps.

The Polish national team’s exact debt is not currenty known publicly. The national team’s on ice success now matters even more when it comes to gaining government support. The PZHL will be in a unique program with a few other sports. Funding will be rewarded based on the team’s success at events like the World Championship. The funding and money for staff are directly tied to results on the ice, meaning winning now becomes even more crucial. As Poland rolls out a new generation of players, the PZHL may need to play a role in ensuring more quality depth is on the way. That means finding ways to elevate more U23 players to the Tauron Hokej Liga (THL) and to foreign leagues. 

The Offseason

Some player development issues may not be entirely the federation’s fault. The offseason after playing in the top division had its ups and downs. The big news was star prospect Krzysztof Maciaś attending Florida Panthers development camp and later joining their American Hockey League affiliate’s training camp. Maciaś’s roster spot was highly debated leading up to the event, with head coach Robert Kalaber making multiple remarks that he would have to earn it. In turn, Maciaś seized the opportunity and put on a great showcase of his potential, leading to the Panthers’ interest. Unfortunately, he would not sign a professional deal. He would return to the Western Hockey League for his final junior season.

Outside Macias, it was a quiet offseason for the national team. Zero members of the national team that played in THL moved to a stronger league abroad, despite what we can confirm were heavy interest and solid offers for a few players. The number of Polish players appearing in strong foreign leagues dropped from the previous season. The coaching, training, and level of players are just not in Poland for the national team to become an elite program.

Often, a lack of exposure for Polish hockey has been cited as a reason why Poles do not reach higher leagues, and it holds some truth. National team forward Damian Tyczynski once told a Slovak hockey site, “I am a Pole, and they do not want the Poles. When they (teams) learn that I am from Poland, they lose interest.” Poland finally got great exposure against strong talent, and offers were made, but the players didn’t jump at them. 

Polish hockey faces a unique situation. The cost of living and pay are much better in Poland than in the lower leagues of countries like Czechia, Finland, or Sweden. Poles could develop in those countries and possibly earn much bigger deals later on. That would mean taking on risk and a possible pay cut. There is a reason Tauron Hokej Liga clubs can sign so many good and leading players from Finnish Mestis clubs. 

When you look at the rivals in the first division of the IIHF World Championships, you see two things that happen. The first is that if they have talented players, those players are most likely to leave home to test and develop their skills abroad. The second is the federation and country invest in having team(s) in stronger foreign leagues. Poland uses this tactic itself for women’s hockey with a team in the Austrian-based European Women’s Hockey League. 

On the men’s side, only Great Britain can rival Poland in terms of players staying home. For Great Britain, their top league is over 70% import players, meaning the few Brits who play in the league usually face decent competition. For example, 84 players who appeared in the Elite Ice Hockey League this year have also played in the American Hockey League.

Poland’s domestic league will not become a top league in Europe anytime soon. Players have to move away to reach a new level in their game. Until that happens more regularly, there will always be a cap on what the white and red can do on the international stage. 

The Domestic Leagues

Financially, it was not a great year for Polish clubs as well. Both levels saw many teams struggle to have complete or competitive rosters. 

In the top league, there were a lot of things to look forward to. With a new rink, Zagłębie Sosnowiec has been taking steps to become a contender in Poland. Attendance in the league once again rose, continuing the streak of more fans filling rinks for another year. The Champions Hockey League welcomed the THL back after cutting them in 2024. Unia Oświęcim had a fantastic run in the Champions Hockey League. They were able to pick up multiple wins and points and would just miss the playoffs due to a standings tiebreaker. One of their wins was against the German club Straubing Tigers, who later went on to beat Team Canada at the Spengler Cup. It was a sign of how good the top of the THL is getting. 

At the same time, the bottom of the league is getting worse and worse. At the top of Poland’s league, you have teams with highly paid players who have experience in the American Hockey League, Swedish Hockey League, Liiga, and other top leagues around the world. While the bottom of the league relies on players making a couple of hundred dollars a week, players who play for free, or even pay to play. In your top level of professional hockey, you can’t have a nine-team league with that range of competitiveness. This is supposed to be a professional competition, not a junior hockey league scam. 

STS Sanok and Podhale Nowy Targ finished their years with what I considered to be the saddest thing I have seen in Polish hockey. Both clubs launched fan crowdfunding campaigns to try to save their future. 

Now I’m not against fans helping fund their team; it’s a great sense of how strong communities can be in sports. I loved it when, during the 2018 season, PKH Gdańsk signed Yannick Kischer, a defenseman who played at the top levels of German hockey, thanks to the efforts of their fans. That’s an effective fan campaign and a great sign that you have a fan base who wants to be part of what the team is doing and help them reach their highest goals. 

The fundraising efforts of Poland’s two bottom clubs were band-aids over bullet holes. The goal amount to be raised would do nothing. The debts the clubs incurred were too massive and would not be covered by the donations. It wouldn’t provide the club with funds to roster a decent team. It just wouldn’t have any impact. It was just asking the fans for more money for what? These clubs have already burned their fans and communities. Every team in the league and the federation shared these fundraisers. Out of the 1,500,000 zl goal, only 40,972 zl was raised. It might be a stretch, but probably not something you want sponsors to see about how passionate and ready to spend your fanbase is. 

Now two more Polish clubs may be at risk of suffering similar fates. 

After the passing of Janusz Filipiak, it was always going to be bad news for Cracovia hockey. Filipiak was dedicated to his athletic teams and loved hockey. Despite Cracovia often not being a top attendance club, they were always competitive in the THL, winning seven championships under his ownership. It’s clear Comarch and the rest of the Cracovia organization don’t have much of an appetite for hockey. If the rink control is given up by the organization and transferred to the city, it will result in most of the Craociva budget just going to paying their lease. Cracovia already has a much lower budget than most teams. In recent weeks, hockey staff have left the organization, while others have alleged poor working conditions set by the parent club. The fate of Cracovia remains uncertain as we head into May. The rest of the league is signing players, and they’re radio silent. 

Bronze medalist JKH GKS Jastrzebie may also be heading for rough times. This year, there were rumors that their long-term main sponsor was experiencing financial issues. The team’s arena is undergoing renovations that will force the team into some rough playing conditions for the 2025-26 season. They will have to play outside their home city for at least 18 months. It looks like Jastrzebie is going to be a club like Podhale or Sanok, relying primarily on juniors with a few veterans. It should be noted that the club is not in debt and is not in the same financial peril as Sanok or Podhale. Robert Kalaber, who had been head coach of the club for 11 years, left the team shortly into the offseason. Jastrzebie is hopefully in a situation where they will pause their goals of competing for medals for only a few years. But only time will tell, as things can quickly spiral out of control. 

When you look at what the THL could be in 2026, you have five viable teams. There may be a sixth in Polonia Bytom, but how they will look remains to be seen. If you don’t have players who go abroad to improve, you need a strong domestic league. If Poland is going to have a strong league, you can’t have half your league being glorified junior teams. Most of your national team is playing meaningless games for most of the year. We could see the number of teams continue to drop. If that happens, how do you run a good hockey league with fewer than eight teams? The THL is already at the bottom of the European leagues in terms of the number of teams.

With only nine teams and over 40% of the league consisting of import players, that means many Poles have to play elsewhere. Many young Poles and others, not at the THL level, play in the Młodzieżowa Hokej Liga (MHL). A weird combination of a junior league and a second level of senior hockey. It doesn’t attract a strong level of play, competition, or fan interest. Still, if hockey is to grow in Poland, you need a place for young players to develop their skills. That means this league is crucial for the short-term and long-term success of Polish hockey. 

After having 15 teams in 2024, it appeared the Mlodziezowa Hokej Liga (MHL) would expand to 17 clubs. Unfortunately, before the 2025 season began, UKS Niedzwiadki Sanok and UKS Zaglebie Sosnowiec both withdrew from the league. Later in the season, LZHK Fabrykanci Lodzkie would also fall due to financial issues, leaving the league with 14 teams for the rest of the year. 

The MHL did add GKS Stoczniowiec Gdansk and UKH Unia Oswiecim during the offseason. Neither of these new clubs came drama-free. 

GKS Stoczniowiec Gdansk would be the second club in Gdansk. They’re rivaling GAS Olivia Gdansk, who aimed to keep hockey alive in one of the few hockey hotbeds in Northern Poland. GKS Stoczniowiec Gdansk is ran Marek Kostecki. In 1998, Marek Kostecki was the vice president of the city of Gdansk and GKS Stoczniowiec Gdańsk. He signed a lease with himself to hand over control of the Hala Olivia rink to himself for 30 years. Since then, he has run the club and hockey interest in the area into the ground. 

Once again, he used his control of the arena to force GAS Olivia Gdansk into playing in far rinks and trying to kill them, just as he had done to PKH Gdansk. In the circus of Polish hockey, there is plenty to laugh at. The clowns of this circus are Marek Kostecki and everyone in the PZHL who have allowed him to continue to get team after team. When the federation doesn’t care about a person who has mistreated players so much and still allegedly owes money to players and staff on all four of his previous failed clubs, why should sponsors or anyone take you seriously? 

For some final words on this club and owner, I go to a quote from former national team import and Toronto Maple Leafs draft pick Jan Steber. 

“I wanted to finish my career in Gdańsk, not in Silesia or somewhere else. In Gdańsk, but not under Mr K. Even if he paid with gold. I wanted to end up in our club with honest management, loyal sponsors and real supporters. With people who love hockey.”

UKH Unia Oswiecim was the second new club to join and the second in the city of Oswiecim. It came after a lot of friction between Polish players and the Ukrainian staff of UHT Sabres Oswiecim during the 2024 season. UHT Sabres Oswiecim play in both the MHL and the European University Hockey League (EUHL). UHT Sabres Oswiecim are also currently in a battle with the EUHL. 

The EUHL is alleging that the Polish club used multiple players who had been on professional contracts during the year. That is against the rules of the amateur hockey league. The PZHL would back the Polish club in this matter, stating that one player was never under a contract in the THL while the other two players had their contracts expire or were terminated before they joined Oswiecim. As of now, UHT Sabres Oswiecim have removed themselves from the EUHL, declaring that no other Polish team will play in the league either. There were rumors of multiple Polish clubs interested in doing so before the conflict. Another place for young players to play is seemingly disappearing. 

As an American who covers Polish hockey, I get a lot of Polish Americans and Canadians reaching out to me, questioning why Polish hockey isn’t better. In many places with a large Polish diaspora, they are also hockey hotbeds. Plenty of people ask me, ‘How do we get a few of these North Americans over to save Polish hockey? ‘ A few players with Polish heritage cannot solve the issues of the Polish national team. This sport is facing major threats and problems to its growth and survival in the country. 

If Poland fails to get promoted at this event, it will not be a sudden extinction event that kills off the sport the next day. But this is their last chance to find more sponsors and funding with the boost of the World Championship. Russia and Belarus will one day return. With their suspensions, the white and red have not faced that tough of opponents in Group A. I also hate to say, but everyone else below them is getting much better quickly. The odds of making it back to the top are only going get lower with each passing year. Poland has been stuck as a stagnant program for too long, and now with a golden opportunity in front of them, they can’t let it slip away.

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Thumbnail Photo via IIHF.com