If the men’s senior team kicked off its 2026 season with a string of losses, I don’t think most people would have been shocked. The team saw the retirement of two veteran leaders, captain Krystian Dziubiński and John Murray. Then, in the lead-up to the first event of the season, talented new addition Kamil Sadlocha hung up his skates. There was also a new head coach in Pekka Tirkkonen. While the Finnish coach has an impressive resume, there was sure to be a slight adjustment period. Finally, the most important factor was a brutal schedule. Poland faced their biggest rivals in international hockey, with six games against France, Hungary, Italy, Slovenia, and Ukraine. 

With those reasons, losses would be excusable. Instead, a rejuvenated squad has been rolling, winning two consecutive European Nations Cup tournaments. Poland has five wins on the year, with its lone loss coming in overtime against Slovenia back in November. 

Recap

December’s action at the Sarkozy Tamas Memorial tournament may have been the best Poland has looked since 2024.

The tournament started with Poland picking up an upset win over France in the shootout. Now, to be fair, this wasn’t France’s Olympic roster by any means. Only five players were on last year’s World Championship team. Still, it’s a talented squad, and these young players are the ones fighting for those final Olympic spots or could be on the roster at this year’s D1A World Championship. I imagine that, given the level drop, an earlier tournament, and possible rest after already playing in the Olympics, it will be a lighter French roster than usual in May. Securing the win here first demonstrates it’s possible to do again in May, when Poland has its full roster as well.

Game two was the one that made the most noise. With Italy gearing up for the Olympics, they had almost their full squad. The only two major missing players were defenseman Thomas Larkin and goalie Damian Clara (Clara was at the tournament, but not dressed vs. Poland). Poland had four goals before the halfway mark. It was a game that raised more questions about Italy’s readiness for the Olympic Games, as Poland was the far better team. Go back to last year’s D1A World Championship, where Italy beat Poland 4-1 in Romania, and you would see one team on the rise and the other on the fall. In the 2026 season, Poland beat Italy with back-to-back 4-2 finals. 

Game three would be against the hosts, Hungary. Poland would easily complete its sweep with a 5-2 win. The white and red only allowed 19 shots to their higher-ranked foe. When it was tight in the third, Poland buried them with three goals. It was the perfect performance to cap off an excellent tournament.

With so many positives, it was hard to pick just three takeaways, but three really stood out. 

The Depth is Good

No one is at their 100% best for these mid-season international tournaments. That includes Poland, which was missing several of its top players. The depth of the white and red has been a concern, as the team has many holes from departing veterans. This tournament featured many players who likely wouldn’t be the first choice, yet still delivered. That included the debuts of Eryk Schafer and Jonasz Hofman. The latter, who picked up two assists in the tournament.

Of their 12 goals, Poland had nine different goal scorers. Last year, Poland had only five different scorers, with eight goals across five games at the D1A World Championship. Szymon Kiełbicki is a real gem starting to emerge for the Polish offense with speed and a great shot. Jakub Lewandowski’s net front presence has been an enormous asset. Kiełbicki and Lewandowski are two I expect to make their senior IIHF debuts in 2026, and that will be huge for the white-and-red’s offense. 

Next in Net

The Murray retirement sent shockwaves through Polish hockey. As Murray had represented such a large part of the Polish hockey rise back to the Elite Division. With presumed starting goalie Tomas Fucik having the tournament off, all three of Maciej Miarka, Mateusz Studzinski, and Michal Kieler were given a game. While I think Kieler showed the best with 20 saves versus Italy, none of Poland’s options had a bad game. Poland allowed only seven goals across the tournament, never more than 3 in a game. In that three goal game, Miarka also locked it down in the shootout.

After the tournament, Pekka Tirkkonen commented, “We have four goalkeepers and a positive headache ahead of the World Championship.” That to me implies that this tournament’s three and Fucik will be battling it out for May. I still wonder if veteran Dawid Zabolotny or the emerging Igor Tyczyński will get a shot. The same weekend as this tournament, Tyczyński was named the best goalie of the D1B World Juniors. 

Momentum On Poland’s Side

I’m a believer in momentum in sports, and it’s clear that momentum currently favors Poland. Am I tempting fate by saying that? Maybe. But I think things are lining up well for Poland. That is both in what they control and what they don’t. For Poland, the coaching change has clearly rejuvenated the squad, while younger players appear to have finally taken the steps the white-and-red team needed. It has them all playing with confidence. In the goal against Italy below, you see what should be a very standard play. Instead, the Italian defender overthinks, and Poland capitalizes on the mistake and makes them pay. That is what good hockey teams do. 

Outside of Poland’s control, you see a Kazakhstan program that has been at its lowest in a while after a dreadful Channel One Cup performance. France might not be the team Polish fans hoped would be relegated last year, but with the Olympics and timing taking precedence, it might be the best chance for Poland to catch them. After a murky offseason, Poland ends 2025 on the highest note it can. 

The national team will be back in February for their final European Nations Cup event, playing Great Britain, Slovenia, and Ukraine in Edinburgh, Scotland.

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Thumbnail Photo via polskihokej.eu