With this season’s edition of the Women’s U18 World Championships about to start, we begin our annual women’s U20 rankings! While the series covers only play from 2025, I still believe it serves as a strong primer for the 2026 event. 

The past few years have seen the rapid rise of women’s hockey in Poland, and that growth has started to yield some genuine top-end European prospects. However, that talent has yet to produce a significant impact at the senior level, where Poland currently competes in Division 2 Group A, having been defeated by a more rapidly developing Spanish program. The list gets a significant refresh this year as plenty of players have aged off and no longer qualify for the list; only five members of the last year’s top ten remain. 

A significant portion of my rankings is based on a production score metric I developed to evaluate Polish hockey. The production score is also used in the men’s ranking. When building and adjusting the formula for this year, we observed a slight increase in scoring across the Tauron Liga Hokeja Kobiet. 

• In the 2022-23 season, there were 352 total goals scored across the 42 regular-season games. An average of 8.38 goals per game.

• In the 2023-24 season, there were 845 total goals scored across the 90 regular-season games. An average of 9.39 goals per game.

• In the 2024-25 season, there were 733 total goals scored across 72 regular-season games. An average of 10.18 goals per game. 

However, the problem remains that 466 goals, or 64%, of the goals were scored against just three opponents: Cracovia, Jastrezbie, and Nowy Targ. On the flip side of that, 493 goals, 67%, were scored by the top three teams in Bytom, Janow, and Gdansk. The talent is consolidated at the top in TLHK, with other teams lacking the depth to compete. This can make statistics somewhat unreliable, as they often reflect who was given the ice time to rack up the points. 

Players had to be under 20 and at least 13 years old on June 1st, 2025. We are only judging play that occurred before that date as well. Players are evaluated based on a combination of career history, current play, and potential. Skaters must have played at least three games recorded on Elite Prospects to be considered. While most of the ranking is my opinion, numerous Polish hockey people contributed their thoughts on players. One hundred and one players were considered for the list and reviewed. Fifty players received a ranking.

Honorable Mentions (Alphabetical Order): Alicja Gacek (D), Amelia Wegrzyniak (D), Antonina Palion (F), Kalina Kolaczek (F), Weronika Chorzepa (D), and Wiktoria Wolska (F)

Rank – Player Name (Position), Age During Next Hockey Season, Team (Ranking in 2024, change in rankings) 

50 – Malgorzata Plachtij (G), 15, PTH Kozice Poznan (NR)

GP	GAA	SV%
8	3.68	.843

49 – Marta Gutowska (F), 15, Polonia Bytom (NR)

GP	G	A	PTS
19	3	3	6

48 – Zuzanna Zieja (F), 17, ZHK Sarisanka Presov (NR)

GP	G	A	PTS
7	0	3	3

47 – Magdalena Figiel (RW), 20, Naprzod Janow (NR) 

GP	G	A	PTS
13	5	2	7

46 – Dominika Wesołek (F), 20, Naprzod Janow (NR) 

GP	G	A	PTS
16	1	6	7

45 – Dominika Dlugosz (D), 16, Unia Oswiecim (NR)

GP	GAA	SV%
9	2.34	.893

44 – Blanka Smołka (F), 16, MHK Slovan Orlová U15 (NR)

GP	G	A	PTS
12	3	3	6

Smołka plays in the second tier of Czech U15 hockey and in the women’s senior second-tier league. I’m hoping to see her on Poland U18 next year. 

43 – Nadia Sibik (D), 15, Unia Oswiecim (44, +1)

GP	G	A	PTS
7	2	3	5

Has played sparingly with Oswiecim but produced in the TLHK when given the chance, with 14 points in 19 games across the last two years. One to watch for Poland U18 in 2026, appeared with the team in non-IIHF matches in 2025. 

42 – Martyna Bojanow (F), 15, Naprzod Janow (NR) 

GP	G	A	PTS
9	2	3	5

41 – Maja Walkowicz (F), 15, Unia Oswiecim (NR)

GP	G	A	PTS
9	4	4	8

40 – Emma Gilga (F), 17, UKH Biale Jastrzebie (34, -6)

GP	G	A	PTS
16	4	3	7

Gilga remains a bright spot on a struggling Jastrezbie team. She was second on the team in scoring and was involved in just under 50% of the team’s goals. 

39 – Amelia Firek (D), 18, Polonia Bytom (32, -7)

GP	G	A	PTS
22	2	6	8

38 – Blanka Stankiewicz (D), 17, PTH Kozice Poznan (NR)

GP	G	A	PTS
13	2	8	10

37 – Marta Krzyzanowska (D), 14, PTH Kozice Poznan (41, +4)

GP	G	A	PTS
14	5	5	10

36 – Martyna Kolorz (F), 19, UKH Biale Jastrzebie (48, +12)

GP	G	A	PTS
16	8	5	13

The leader of UKH Biale Jastrzebie this year was involved in more than half of the team’s goals. Kolorz also later joined Oswiecim for the playoffs. 

35 – Lena Olbrych (F), 18, Atomowki Tychy (NR)

GP	G	A	PTS
22	9	4	13

Took a big step forward for Tychy and performed well against the lower half of the TLHK. 

34 – Aleksandra Kopala (F), 15, Atomowki Tychy (NR)

GP	G	A	PTS
13	11	2	13

Kopala has significant upside and has quickly become a leader in Tychy. She was tied for third in scoring on the team, despite playing only 13 games. I expect her to make the U18 squad soon; she played in non-IIHF games with Poland U18 in 2025. 

33 – Antonina Kaczmarek (D), 15, PTH Kozice Poznan (NR)

GP	G	A	PTS
13	9	5	14

32 – Ewa Rojek (D), 15, Naprzod Janow U16 (NR) 

GP	G	A	PTS
11	0	4	4

Rojek spent most of the year playing with Janow’s U16 club. She made a significant impact with the Poland U18 team, where she was one of the ten 2010-born players on the roster. She showed a lot of poise and picked up two while finishing a plus four. Poland will be counting on her to take a big step as they hope to finally win gold and gain promotion to Division 1 Group A. 

31 – Weronika Wrobel (F), 15, Naprzod Janow (45, +14)

GP	G	A	PTS
7	5	4	9

30 – Dominika Panol (G), 15, Naprzod Janow (33, +3)

GP	GAA	SV%
11	1.38	.888

The young goalie is lower on a packed depth chart in Janow, but has found moments to shine. 

29 – Alicja Hudziak (G), 16, Polonia Bytom (28, -1) 

GP	GAA	SV%
11	0.67	.947

Hudziak was fantastic for Bytom, but given the roster she has in front of her, it can be hard to gauge Bytom’s goalies fully. Still, only seven goals allowed this year with six shutouts. 

28 – Iga Kosturska (D), 16, Stoczniowiec Gdansk (31, +3) 

GP	G	A	PTS
17	1	5	6

The talented young defender made her junior IIHF debut for Poland in 2024, but missed the 2025 event. With two key defenders departing, I expect the Sanok native to be back with the squad in 2026. 

27 – Lena Makowska (F), 15, Stoczniowiec Gdansk (50, +23)

GP	G	A	PTS
21	3	12	15

Two straight seasons of strong production is really promising for such a young player. Makowska should receive some U18 consideration and possibly become the next great Gdansk forward. 

26 – Oliwia Wroniecka (D/LW), 15, PTH Kozice Poznan (46, +20)

GP	G	A	PTS
21	3	12	15

Really strong production at the TLHK level, and had 7 points (4G-3A-7PTS) in 8 games at the U16 level. Wroniecka will likely compete for her U18 IIHF debut in the near future. 

25 – Edyta Cybula (D), 19, HC Falcons Sokol Karviná (25, +0)

GP	G	A	PTS
4	0	0	0

24 – Maja Malinowska (F), 16, Naprzod Janow (42, +18)

GP	G	A	PTS
16	1	7	8

Malinowska had a really strong game versus Spain for Poland U18, posting an assist and three shots. She should be a key part of Janow in 2026. 

23  – Julia Skręt (F), 20, Järnbrotts HK (18, -5) 

GP	G	A	PTS
6	1	0	1

An injury derailed Skret’s first season with Järnbrotts HK in the second tier of Sweden, but she will be back with the club for 2026. 

22 – Anna Sencerz (F), 17, Polonia Bytom (23, +1) 

GP	G	A	PTS
18	4	5	9

In a stacked Bytom lineup, Sencerz has yet to earn a larger role. After a strong debut tournament in 2023, she hasn’t recorded a point in two straight IIHF U18 D1B tournaments. 

21 – Oliwia Chrapek (G), 17, HC Falcons Sokol Karviná (30, +9) 

GP	GAA	SV%
9	3.21	NA

Chrapek has strong experience at the top level in Czechia. She has also played a handful of games in the lower levels of Czech men’s junior hockey. It’s a really crowded and talented crease in Poland right now, and Chrapek is a key part of it. With Justyna Koszyk in Canada, Chrapek is penciled in as the starter for non-IIHF events.

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Thumbnail Photo via polskihokej.eu