Today, the final event of the international season kicks off, the top division of the IIHF Men’s World Championships. Across the IIHF World Championships, 19 players who played in Poland are representing their home country. Today, I wanted to look to see where those who played in the Tauron Hokej Liga (THL), 1 Liga, or even 2 Liga are playing on the international stage. The list is a little lighter than years past due to the cancellation of the Division 2 Group A and Division 4 tournaments.

Top Division 

Great Britain

• Mat Robson had a brief run in Poland, playing with Cracovia in the 2024 season. A midseason transfer, he had a rocky start, but finished strong with a .944 SV% in 7 playoff games. The Canadian goaltender spent the past two years in the Elite Ice Hockey League with the Coventry Blaze. He acquired U.K. citizenship and became eligible to represent Great Britain in 2026. He will be making his IIHF debut at the Elite Division World Championship.

Hungary

• Bence Bálizs is Hungary’s starting goalie this year and was previously the starter for JKH GKS Jastrzebie. Bálizs had a strong year for Jastrzebie in 2023, posting a save percentage above .920 in both the regular season and playoffs. He played this past season back home with Ferencvárosi TC in the ICEHL. The 5 time Hungarian goalie of the year is playing in his 9th World Championship event.

Slovenia

• Slovenia defenseman Miha Štebih found himself with Cracovia for the 2020 season. He would put up 7 points (3G-4A-7PTS) in 39 games. 2026 marks the 7th World Championship for the 34-year-old.  

Division 1 Group A

Ukraine

• Alexander Peresunko made his THL debut this year and has already signed with Sosnowiec for a second season. The skilled forward was one of the league’s best goal scorers, scoring 26 goals in 53 games. His offensive production carried over to the D1A Worlds, where he recorded 5 points (2G-3A) in 5 games. This year was his 6th World Championship.
• Big Ukrainian forward Andrei Deniskin has played in Poland for the past 4 seasons. He previously played two years with Unia Oswiecim and Podhale Nowy Targ, but has now spent two years with KH Torun. Over his four THL seasons, he has 72 goals and 109 assists in 185 games. This was his 4th IIHF appearance for Ukraine.
• Bogdan Dyachenko had a breakout tournament in 2025 and caught the eye of Polonia Bytom. The starting goalie for Ukraine had a strong first year with Bytom, putting up a .913 SV% in 34 regular-season games. 2026 was his 7th appearance for Ukraine. He will be back with Bytom next season.
• Olexei Vorona was with KH Torun this year, his third THL season. The 27-year-old forward made his first THL appearance in 2023 with Podhale Nowy Targ, but returned to Poland with Torun in 2025. He has 95 career points (30G-65A) in 126 THL games. 2026 was his 5th World Championship, and he was part of Ukraine’s gold-medal team in 2024 and is now part of their Elite promotion team in 2026. 

Division 1 Group B

Estonia 

• Conrad Mölder served as the starting goalie for KH Torun in 2022, one of many Estonians brought in by former Estonia national team head coach Jussi Tupamäki. He played 36 games in Poland. 2026 was his 4th appearance for Estonia, and he was the starting goalie as the team won promotion to Division 1 Group A.
• Mark Viitanen has become a key forward for GKS Tychy and helped the club to back-to-back THL championships in 2026! This was his fourth season in Poland; he also played for STS Sanok and KH Torun. Across 190 THL games, the big right wing has 113 points (54G-69A). This year was his 5th World Championship for Estonia.
• Robert Arrak has played in Poland for the past 5 seasons and served as Torun’s assistant captain this year. He has also played with Cracovia and Jastrzebie. Arrak has 135 points (76G-59A) in 218 THL games. He captained Team Estonia this year in his 8th appearance for his home country.
• Vadim Vasjonkin would be a mid-season pick-up for KH Torun in 2021. He played 24 games, recording 11 points (4G-7A-11PTS). The big Estonian forward has spent most of his career in the United States, but played back in Estonia for the past two years. 2026 was his 8th World Championship for Estonia.

South Korea

• Sang Hoon Shin was the first-ever South Korean THL player! The forward came over from the ECHL at the transfer deadline in 2025 and signed with Zaglebie Sosnowiec. In his short time with the club, he had 6 points (2G-4A-6PTS) in 10 games. He spent this year back in Korea with HL Anyang. He also made his 12th appearance for South Korea at the World Championships.

Division 2 Group B

Bulgaria

• Forward Stefan Pirotski is only 20, but he made his 2nd appearance with the Bulgarian senior team in 2026. He has played in various junior and lower-level leagues around Europe in his young career. In 2024, he appeared in 25 games with LZHK Fabrykanci Lodzkie in the 1 Liga.  

Israel

• Goaltender Nir Tichon holds both Israeli and Polish citizenship. He has spent most of his career in the Czech 3rd and 4th levels. This season was his 7th World Championship.
• 24-year-old Yuval Halpert spent the first half of the 2024 season with LZHK Fabrykanci Lodzkie in the 1 Liga. The young forward spent this past season in the Israeli hockey league. 2026 was his 5th time at the Worlds.

New Zealand

• Canadian Colin McIntosh has had a journeyman career that has taken him around the world. His career took him to Polonia Bytom in 2014 for an eight-game stint. From 2017 to 2025, he played with the Skycity Stampede in New Zealand’s top league. He gained his Kiwi status in 2024 and represented New Zealand for the 3rd time in 2026. McIntosh also coaches women’s hockey in the country. 

Division 3 Group A

Mexico

• Defenseman Daniel Ripstein spent this past year with Opole United in the 1 Liga! The defenseman also made his first appearance for Team Mexico, scoring a goal and an assist in 5 games.

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Thumbnail Photo via polskihokej.eu