The first day of the Tauron Hokej Liga (THL) came and went with plenty of blowouts. While I don’t think the entire season will go that way, it shows the league’s talent disparity. With vastly different budgets and goals, the league attracts all kinds of players when it comes to signing talent. 

Today, we are picking the most interesting import each THL team has brought in this offseason. To make it crystal clear, this is not about which import will be the best player, but about the one I am most excited or interested in seeing play in Poland. We are also trying to highlight newcomers to the league if possible. 

Cracovia Krakow – James White

James White comes to Poland from Canada as a big-body left wing. Last year, he tore it up at the second level in Slovakia, posting 55 points (20G-35A) in 51 games with HC Nove Zamky. That was good for 10th in scoring during the regular season for the Slovak 1. Liga. White looks like a potentially high-reward pickup for a Cracovia team in need of offense. Before coming to Europe in 2026, he appeared in the ECHL, OJHL, QMJHL, and USports. 

GKS Katowice – Connor LaCouvee

LaCouvee signed a two-year deal with Katowice this offseason. The 31-year-old Canadian goalie brings an impressive resume with time in the AHL, ECHL, Liiga, ICEHL, and NCAA. His home over the past four seasons has been Slovakia’s top level, the Tipsport Liga. These past two years, he has been a teammate of Polish star Kamil Walega at Vlci Zilina. LaCouvee also runs the goaltender training camp, LaCouvee Goaltending. 

GKS Tychy – Lauri Sertti

When it comes to Tychy imports, it’s almost always guaranteed to be a new Finnish skater recently. While defenseman Lauri Sertti also hails from the birthplace of Moomin, his path was not ordinary for Fins. Sertti left Finland to end his junior days and moved to the States. After a year in the NAHL, he made an NCAA commitment to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI). He would spend 5 years in the NCAA, with a final season at American International College. At the end of his college career in 2026, he returned to Finland and signed with HPK in the Liiga. His return home was short-lived as he moved to Slovakia to finish the year with HK Dukla Michalovce. Now for his sophomore professional season, the 27-year-old is making another move by signing with GKS Tychy. 

JKH GKS Jastrzębie – Paavo Hölsä

There is a major hole in the Jastrzębie goaltending room, and they’re turning to Paavo Hölsä to fill it. Due to family circumstances, Hölsä missed the 2026 season. It feels like a very high-risk move for a team that will rely heavily on its goalie. The 31-year-old certainly has the resume to be a starter, with time as a number-one goalie in the Mestis, Alps Hockey League, ICEHL, EIHL, and, most recently, Maxa Liga. His best year was in 2021, when he was dominant and helped lead HK Olimpija Ljubljana to an Alps Hockey League championship. 

KH Toruń – Chikara Hanzawa

Every year I do this list, Toruń gives me the most options to pick from. This year there are 8 different countries represented on the roster, with plenty of fun players to watch. Japan national team forward Chikara Hanzawa is going to be a fan favorite. The 25-year-old has been playing outside Japan since 2019. Developing in the Swedish and U.S. junior systems, he committed to Sacred Heart University in 2023. After two college hockey seasons, he turned professional in South Korea with HL Anyang. Hanzawa has quickly become a mainstay of the Japanese national team, including representing his country at the 2026 D1A Worlds in Poland. There, he caught the eye of Toruń, and I have no doubt the speedy forward will put up some more highlights in Poland.

Podhale Nowy Targ – Danylo Olifirchuk

There are not many options on Podhale, as they have one of the most Polish rosters in the league. In fact, every import on their team has also played in Poland previously and for multiple seasons. Still, Danylo Olifirchuk is a major breakout candidate. The 18-year-old Ukrainian forward came up huge for Ukraine at the 2026 D1A U18s. He was named Ukraine’s top player after scoring 5 goals in 5 games. He made his THL debut with Katowice last season, appearing in 5 games. 

Polonia Bytom – Yevgen Fadyeyev

How Yevgen Fadyeyev does in the THL will be one of the most interesting things to watch this year. Fadyeyev has dominated in the Central European Hockey League (CEHL) with Dutch club Snackpoint Eaters Limburg. In 2026, the Ukrainian forward led the league in regular-season scoring with 73 points (18G-55A) in 33 games. Since turning professional in 2022, he has been one of the most productive players at the lower levels of European hockey. Across the AlpsHL, CEHL, Oberliga, and Ukrainian league, he has recorded 213 points across 139 games. Can that production keep up in the THL? 

STS Sokil Sanok – Ēriks Vītols

If you’re not counting Ukrainian players, there are not many imports on Sanok. They’ll split their squad with Sokol Kyiv, and it will be interesting to see how the Ukrainian league champs fare in Poland. The pre-season returns have not been great, which makes having a good goalie all the more important. The club picked up former team Latvia goalie Ēriks Vītols. The 25-year-old had an impressive start to his career, getting time in the KHL, Liiga, and Tipsort Liga. Last year, during a short stint with Tychy, he showed how impactful he can be, posting a .931 SV% in 11 games.

Unia Oświęcim – Sami Aittokallio

Aittokallio joins the short list of players who have played in both the NHL and the THL. He was one of the best goaltending prospects in Finland during the early 2010s. The Colorado Avalanche took notice and drafted Aittokallio in the 4th round of the 2010 NHL draft. After a couple more seasons in Finland, he made the jump to Colorado, signing his NHL entry deal. He would mainly play in the AHL, but did get in two games with the Avalanche. In 2016, he would return to Finland on loan to the Liiga. Since then, he has played in Europe’s top leagues, including the DEL, the Extraliga, the Tipsport Liga, and, mainly, his home country’s Liiga. Aittokallio spent last season in Scotland with the Glasgow Clan, helping the club to their best season since 2019. 

Zagłębie Sosnowiec – Joel Olkkonen

Looking to make an all-in push this year, Sosnowiec made plenty of big moves within the THL. They also made some big moves from outside Poland, including Joel Olkkonen. The 6’3 defenseman brings a wealth of experience, with 8 Liiga seasons and 2 years in the HockeyAllsvenskan. The 33-year-old served as the captain last year for Östersunds IK in Sweden. His veteran presence adds to an already well-experienced blue line.

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