On December 18th, 2015, Poland’s U20 squad looked to have secured gold. They were heading into the final day of the Division 1 Group B World Juniors with a match-up against group favorite France. The standings shook out that on the final day, Poland had to do one thing. Not lose by 5 goals or more. Poland U20 lost 7-2 and took silver. 

Later that year, at the Men’s Division 1 Group A World Championship in Kraków, Poland had another chance at promotion. All they had to do was beat rival Hungary in regulation. It was a packed arena with over 12,600 fans in attendance to support the white and red. Miklós Rajna shut the door on Poland, and Hungary won 2-1.

In my 12 years covering Polish hockey, it feels like it’s been a decade-plus of heartbreak. So many times, the national team came so close on so many levels, only to fall short. 2026 was a sobering reminder of that, as at all levels of men’s hockey, Poland gave hope of a major achievement only to come up empty-handed. 

It can raise the question of why come back after such failures. You come back because of how winning can make you feel. Every Polish hockey fan remembers 2023 and that feeling of finally getting over the hump and earning promotion back to the top. The packed rink in Ostrava erupting when Krzysztof Maciaś scored the first goal at the top in over 20 years. That feeling and those moments will stay with you forever, and they make it worth it. 

2026 was another year that ended in the heartbreak pile. It leaves fans chasing the feeling of 2023 once again. While a lot of great things happened off the ice or at the junior levels of men’s hockey, the national team couldn’t get it done. On the final day of the tournament, Poland had a shot at silver and promotion. All they had to do was beat Lithuania in regulation, but they lost in overtime. In 2023, Poland beat Lithuania 7-0 to open the Division 1 Group A (D1A) Worlds in Nottingham. The white and red will have to come to terms with the damage that a decade of poor development has finally inflicted. During that time, almost everyone else got better. 

Final scores: 

May 2nd: Poland vs. Ukraine | 3-2 Win

May 3rd: France vs. Poland | 3-2 Shootout Loss

May 5th: Kazakhstan vs. Poland | 3-2 Loss

May 7th: Japan vs. Poland | 2-4 Win

May 8th: Poland vs. Lithuania | 1-2 Overtime Loss

Poland finished with 8 points and a 4th place finish at the 2026 Division 1 Group A World Championship. 

It All Lined Up

I think the hardest thing to accept about this tournament is the fact that everything lined up for Poland.  The IIHF bans on Belarus and Russia remained in effect, leaving two additional spots open at the top. France and Kazakhstan were both without their best rosters. Then, in the tournament, as Poland dropped points against France and Kazakhstan, France and Ukraine both dropped points. It created a path where Poland controlled its own destiny. They just had to beat the worst team (standing-wise) in the tournament. They couldn’t. Everything that needed to happen for Poland did, the white and red just couldn’t finish.

The Wall of Fucik

The fears about life after John Murray were quieted for Polish fans thanks to Tomáš Fučík. The 32-year-old Czech goalie with a Polish passport cemented his own legacy by being named the best goaltender of the tournament. He started all five games and finished with a .935 SV%. I wouldn’t even put really any of the goals against him. They were all pretty much high-danger chances where the opponent found a gap in the Polish defense. If Fučík plays like this next year, Poland will have a high floor.

Best in the Box

One of the most frustrating things at this tournament was how often Poland’s veterans and top players were taking unnecessary penalties. The biggest being Kamil Wałęga receiving a 5-minute major and game misconduct just 30 seconds into the match against France. Poland took the third most penalties at the event, but had the most time shorthanded at 32 minutes and 8 seconds. On the bright side, the Polish penalty kill was the best in the tournament, with an 88% sucess rate. It did catch up with them in the end, as Lithuania’s lone regulation goal came off a first-period power play.

Years of Regret?

This year marked a few returns to the national team:

• Aron Chmielewski made his first World Championship appearance since 2022
• Christian Mroczkowski saw his first national team games since 2021
• Bartłomiej Pociecha was at his first World Championship since 2018.

Chmielewski finished tied for third on Poland in points with 1 goal and 3 assists. Mroczkowski joined the lineup late and provided a strong forecheck and physical presence from the third line. Pociecha gave Poland the power-play defenseman they have been desperate for. While Chmielewski and Pociecha may be out of their primes, both turn 35 next season, they still showed some of the best offensive awareness of any Polish players. As Poland looks back on the opportunities it had in the past few years, it’s going to be hard not to feel regret that these players weren’t there.

What is Next? 

Our traditional final question. Poland will be back in Division 1 Group A next year. We know that Kazakhstan and Ukraine will be leaving as they have been promoted to the Elite. We also say goodbye to Japan, which was relegated after Lithuania beat Poland. 

The only confirmed joining team right now is Estonia, which won promotion from Division 1 Group B. The final two teams will be decided at the Elite Division World Championship that starts on May 15th. One country from each of the two groups will be relegated to D1A. From Group A, it’s likely to be one of Great Britain or Hungary. From Group B, it will likely be either Italy or Slovenia.

Next year’s tournament will allow almost no room for mistakes. The 2028 Elite Division World Championship is set to be held in Paris and Lyon, France. That means one of the two promotion spots is guaranteed to France, regardless of where they finish. 

There may be no additional spots available. The IOC announced it no longer recommends restrictions on the participation of Belarusian athletes and teams. Belarus would likely be given a spot in the top division if it were to return. Those we have spoken with don’t believe there is any rush to bring Belarus back, but we’ll also have to see what the IIHF does. 

While the tournament is almost set, the future of Poland has plenty of questions. Now I stand by what I said in the preview: in the long term, I think Polish hockey is going in the right direction. The mismanagement of the past is going to start hitting on the ice harder in the next few years. 

For a long time, Poland was very lucky that players like Grzegorz Pasiut (37 at last IIHF appearance), Krystian Dziubiński (37), John Murray (38), Marcin Kolusz (39), Patryk Wajda (36), and quite a few others were able to play at a strong level heading into their late 30s. Even on the current team, Poland is getting big minutes from Kamil Gorny (36) and Mateusz Bryk (36). Of the 7 players on this year’s team 25 years or younger, only 3 (Kamil Wałęga, Michał Naróg, Szymon Kiełbicki) played 10 minutes or more in the first three games. Poland has been relying heavily on its veterans over the past two seasons despite some infusion of young talent. 

Part of that reason might simply be that there are not many young players to pick from. While representing Poland at the junior level doesn’t mean a guaranteed future with the national team, of the 134 Polish-born players to appear at a World Championship since 2000, only 10 have done so without first appearing for Poland U18 or U20.

For a country like Poland, those IIHF junior players are likely all your top prospects. Of the 196 players who represented Poland U20 from 2015 to 2020, only 19.3% are playing professional hockey. These players would be between 24 and 30 today, and just about 80% are effectively retired. Only 17% (26) of the Polish players in the THL this year were between 25 and 29 years old. The players, all of whom are supposed to be in their prime or entering it, are missing. 

Right now, Poland has only 29 defensemen under 30 playing professional hockey full-time. I hate to say it, but not many of those guys are D1A quality either. If Poland wants to compete, they’re almost guaranteed to need to rely on imports. Some import options could include: Lukash Matthews, Matt Sozanski, and Roman Dyukov. 

A lot of the younger professional players in Poland are just not currently up to a strong enough level. They don’t process the game fast enough and have to play reactive hockey. Even in this tournament, Poland’s younger players have mostly struggled to find success against the size and speed of France, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine. While Poland could try to keep veterans longer, the lack of speed really started to show this year. Poland was basically forced into a defensive structure that saw them on the penalty kill in their own zone every opponent possession. They were outshot in every game except for the final match versus Lithuania.

As the previous national team generation hangs up its skates, Poland appears to be facing a short-term talent deficit. Right now, Poles are just not getting the experience they need to develop. It’s a plea to both Polish teams to actually play young Poles, or for young Poles to try and go abroad. Poland got passed by Hungary years ago, now Ukraine is passing them by, and Lithuania is next. Will something change, or will we have to wait for another generation of Polish hockey?

Quick Thoughts 

• Krzysztof Maciaś was once again glued to the 4th line, only averaging 7:20 minutes of ice time. That is the lowest of all forwards. I have no explanation. He is one of the few Poles who are actually aggressive on the puck, rather than watching it and waiting for a linemate to pick it up. 
• Patryk Wronka was fun to watch as always, his 3 goals and 3 assists tied him for the team lead in points with Krezolek. 
• Patryk Krezolek was on fire at this tournament with a goal in each game. His 5 goals led all skaters at the event. I am really excited to see what is next for him. 
• Congrats to Ukraine on their promotion. Players might have been forced to do it because of the war, but they have quickly shown how fast things can change when players leave and develop. Ukraine finished 5th in D1B in 2019; now they’re in the elite. 
• Poland did a great job as host. It was great to see all the festivities, the fan zone, and marketing in the lead-up to the event. Hats off to all the behind-the-scenes and volunteer staff.

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Thumbnail Photo via polskihokej.eu