For the first time since 2014, NHL players are back at the Olympics! It is going to be a great couple of weeks of best-on-best international hockey. While Poland has not played ice hockey at the Olympics since 1992, there are still plenty of connections to Polish hockey at this year’s games.

Czechia

• Team Manager Milan Hnilička has held managerial roles with Team Czechia for nearly his entire post-playing days career. Before he was leading up Team Czechia he was one of the country’s best goalies. In a long career, mostly in the NHL (5 seasons) and the Tipsport Extraliga (10 seasons), he made one brief stop in Poland. For a pre-season qualification tournament, SMS I Warszawa signed the star goalie just before he debuted for the New York Rangers in 2000.

Finland

• Mikko Lehtonen is the lone non-NHLer on Team Finland. The 32-year-old defenseman was also a flag bearer for the opening ceremony. Lehtonen currently plays in the Swiss League but has also appeared in the KHL, Liiga, NHL, and the SHL. His brother Matias Lehtonen is a three-time Tauron Hokej Liga (THL) champion and currently plays for JKH GKS Jastrzebie. 
• Kaapo Kakko is one of the best young players in the Finnish lineup. The 24-year-old forward was selected second overall by the New York Rangers in the 2019 NHL draft. This year, Kakko has 21 points in 40 games with the Seattle Kraken. Before his NHL season kicked off, he spent some time practicing with GKS Tychy and even debuted the club’s 2026 Champion Hockey League jerseys.

France 

• At 36, Stéphane Da Costa has long been and remains one of France’s best forwards. The skilled center has spent almost his entire career in the KHL, with brief stints in the NHL and the National League. In addition to French citizenship, Da Costa holds Polish citizenship through his mother, who is from Sosnowiec, Poland. His brothers, Teddy Da Costa (12 seasons) and Gabriel Da Costa (5 seasons), both appeared in the THL, primarily with Zaglebie Sosnowiec.

Germany 

• Wojciech Stachowiak was born in Gdansk and grew up in the Stoczniowiec Gdansk youth system. The now Syracuse Crunch forward even played for Poland U16 before heading to Germany. His solid play in the German junior ranks earned him an invitation to the country’s junior national team. Stachowiak was a star in the DEL and for Team Germany, and last offseason received a well deserved NHL contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning. So far, he has played only in the American Hockey League, but the Olympics could turn his season around. His father also previously played in the lower levels of Poland.

Italy 

• Defenseman Jason Seed spent three years in Poland from 2020 to 2022. The Canadian appeared with both GKS Tychy and Podhale Nowy Targ, recording 82 points (8G-64A-82PTS) in 151 games. Since his time in Poland, he has played in Italy with both Cortina and HC Bolzano. He obtained Italian citizenship and is among the many imports on the Olympic squad. 
• Jukka Jalonen is one of the best European coaches of the past decade. He led Finland to Olympic gold in 2022. He’ll have an even bigger challenge as he leads Team Italy at this year’s Olympics. His son, Jimi Jalonen, was a late-season acquisition by GKS Katowice in 2025 and appeared in six games.

Latvia 

• Current THL goalie Eriks Vitols will not be appearing on the Olympic squad, but the 24-year-old was in training camp with Team Latvia. Vitols filled in while his home country waited for the arrival of NHLers Arturs Silovs and Elvis Merzlikins.  The young goalie has made a quick impact with GKS Tychy since transferring midseason. He has a .951 SV% in five THL games. 

USA

• Defenseman Zach Werenski has Polish heritage from his grandfather. The Blue Jackets’ star got to play the white and red last year and told media after the game that, “Polish hockey is in safe hands with those fans and those players.” Werenski has followed his 2025 Norris runner-up season with 62 points in 52 NHL games. 

Teammates  

Plenty of former teammates of Polish players are also suiting up at this year’s Olympics. A large part of that is due to the number of Polish and Slovak players who crossed paths while playing with HC Ocelari Trinec in Czechia.

Czechia 

• Ondřej Kaše – Alan Lyszczarczyk (Pirati Chomutov U18; 2013), Pawel Zygmunt (HC Litvinov; 2023-2026)
• Radim Šimek –  Tomas Fucik (Bili Tygri Liberec & HC Benatky nad Jizerou; 2015)
• Roman Červenka – Mikolaj Lopuski (HC Slovan Usti nad Labem U20 & Slovan Ustecti Lvi; 2006)
• Tomáš Kundrátek – Ondrej Raszka (HC Ocelari Trinec U18 & HC Ocelari Trinec U20; 2005-2008), Marcin Kolusz (HC Ocelari Trinec; 2006-2008), Jan Steber (HC Ocelari Trinec & LHK Jestrabi Prostejov; 2006-2008), Aron Chmielewski (HC Ocelari Trinec; 2018-2022), Bartosz Ciura (HC Ocelari Trinec; 2022), Filip Komorski (HC Ocelari Trinec; 2022), Alan Lyszczarczyk (HC Ocelari Trinec; 2022), Kamil Walega (HC Ocelari Trinec; 2023-2025)

Slovakia 

• Libor Hudáček – Alan Lyszczarczyk (HC Ocelari Trinec; 2023). Aron Chmielewski (HC Ocelari Trinec; 2023), Kamil Walega (HC Ocelari Trinec; 2023-2025)
• Marek Hrivík – Krzysztof Macias (HC Vitkovice; 2026)
• Martin Marinčin – Bartosz Ciura (HC Ocelari Trinec; 2022), Filip Komorski (HC Ocelari Trinec; 2022), Alan Lyszczarczyk (HC Ocelari Trinec; 2021-2023). Aron Chmielewski (HC Ocelari Trinec; 2021-2023), Kamil Walega (HC Ocelari Trinec; 2023-2025)
• Matúš Sukel – Martin Pawelski (Draci Liptovsky Mikulas U20; 2013), Pawel Zygmunt (HC Litvinov, 2021-2026) 
• Michal Ivan – Yevgeni Kamenev (HKM Zvolen U20; 2015-2017)
• Miloš Kelemen – Yevgeni Kamenev (HKM Zvolen U20; 2015-2017)
• Patrik Koch – Krzysztof Macias (HC Vitkovice; 2023), Kamil Walega (HC Ocelari Trinec; 2025)
• Peter Čerešňák – Martin Przygodzki (HK Dukla Trencin U16, HK Dukla Trencin U18, & HK Dukla Trencin U20; 2015-2011)
• Samuel Takáč – Oliver Paczkowski (HK Poprad; 2015), Marcin Kolusz (HK Dukla Michalovce; 2021)
• Stanislav Škorvánek – Yevgeni Kamenev (HC Detva; 2017), Marcin Kolusz (HK Dukla Michalovce; 2021), Martin Przygodzki (HK Dukla Michalovce; 2022). 
• Vladimír Országh coached – Pawel Zygmunt (HC Litvinov; 2020-2022), Alan Lyszczarczyk (HC Ocelari Trinec; 2023), Aron Chmielewski (HC Ocelari Trinec; 2023), Kamil Walega (HC Ocelari Trinec; 2024)

Sweden 

• Anders Sörensen coached – Kamil Sadlocha (Chicago Mission 16U AAA; 2015)

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!