After a rough start to the offseason that cast a dark cloud over numerous Tauron Hokej Liga teams, the league received some positive news this week. Per Jacek Zukowski of dziennikpolski24.pl, Cracovia has been sold to new owners and already has a new president. 

Business Alliance Cracovia has taken over 100% sole ownership of the Cracovia Hokej company. Business Alliance Cracovia is a group of local business owners, executives, and entrepreneurs. Rafał Wysocki, a lawyer, will be the lead organizer for the hockey section. The club will also have a new president, Agata Michalska. Michalska formerly led Podhale Nowy Targ from 2013 to 2018. Under her leadership the club won two bronze medals. Before her time in hockey, she worked in the private sector in leadership roles at some major brands including Coca Cola. She has remained a strong force behind the scenes in Polish hockey. 

While Comarch is relinquishing its ownership of the team, it is not leaving completely. The company will remain the title sponsor under a three-year deal. Comarch Cracovia will now be able to apply for a license for the 2025-2026 THL season. The club is also in talks with the city for the ice rink to remain in the club’s possession. 

For Cracovia, all these changes will provide the club with some stability as it transitions to a new era. It gives a lot of hope that the team will continue to grow, acquire additional sponsors, and develop hockey in one of Poland’s largest cities. 

After long time Comarch and Cracovia owner Janusz Filipiak passed away in December 2023, there were a lot of concerns about the future of Cracovia hockey. Filipiak was a passionate advocate for sports, especially hockey. After initial doubts, things did seem to be going in the right direction during the 2025 season. The club had been able to return key figures to help in development roles, like Polish legend Rafal Radziszewski. Cracovia also saw an attendance increase that soared past the 1,000 mark at 1,225. 

This offseason would be more murky. New leadership at the sporting club didn’t seem as interested in supporting hockey. The most significant factor would be control of the rink. If control of the rink were given to the city, it would mean Cracovia would pay most of their budget in just leasing their home arena. Additionally, the club appeared to struggle in finding a suitable leader for the Cracovia Hokej company. A couple of preferred candidates reportedly declining the role of president, ultimately leading to a public and open search. All these factors have eventually led to today’s sale and a new era for the red and white hockey club. 

When we look at what the team could be on ice in the 2026 season, it’s believed they will be able to maintain a lot of their roster. Some key players, including Dominik Jarosz (Polonia Bytom), Jakub Wanacki (Zaglebie Sosnowiec), Sebastian Brynkus (Zaglebie Sosnowiec), Szymon Bieniek (Polonia Bytom), and Yevgeni Kamenev (Polonia Bytom) have already departed for other THL clubs. They will likely have to look to imports to supplement Polish stars like Damian Kapica, Maciej Kruczek, Oskar Jaśkiewicz, and Szymon Marzec. It’s also believed that the coaching staff, led by Marek Ziętara, is all set to return. 

For the THL, this is a big development. As some club leaders feared the league was at risk of falling to as low as six teams for 2026. Now, with the promotion of Polonia Bytom, which has assembled a strong roster, and some stability for Cracovia, the league now has eight teams. There are recent optimistic reports for Podhale Nowy Targ and Sanok, but nothing is ever certain in Polish hockey.

If you want to keep up with all the Polish hockey action, make sure to follow us on Twitter @PolandHockey, like our Facebook page, and add us on Instagram @PolishPuck_. Also, support us on Patreon to help keep the content flowing!

Thumbnail Photo via polskihokej.eu