With a generation of national team regulars retiring, it has never been more important to keep an eye on the young talent in the Tauron Hokej Liga (THL). At the past few World Championships alone, more than 10 players have made their IIHF debuts in the white and red.

There is extra incentive to play young players in the THL going forward. The Polish Ice Hockey Federation has introduced a development system that will financially reward teams featuring the most young talent. During the year, a standing board on Polskihokej.eu will be updated showing which team has young players getting the most minutes. The three teams with the most points at the end of the year will receive a financial reward.

While I like this system in theory, it’s important to remember playing is only half the battle.

What players are doing in those minutes is important. For example, in the Champions Hockey League, Jakub Janik played for 11 and a half minutes against HC Davos. He also got in at a big moment, joining Tychy’s top line when they pulled their goalie late in the game. Janik took advantage of the opportunity, scoring his first goal in CHL competition. These are the major spots where players learn, develop, and gain confidence. It should be rewarded that a top prospect like Janik got a chance in that situation. To note, this game doesn’t count in the standings, just a recent example. 

What I don’t want is a team gaining a bunch of points in the junior standings by rostering a bunch of U23 players, since they will play for cheap over more experienced players. Podhale Nowy Targ entered their season opener against GKS Tychy with an average age of 22.13. They lost 10-1 and were outshot 54-15. Having young players play THL games just to play THL games won’t lead to any development, especially when those players are just under siege for their entire shift. Instead of rewarding development, you’re only funding struggling programs. 

It will be an interesting experiment, and hopefully Poland’s top clubs take part. In that spirit, we wanted to highlight a couple of players on each THL team that fans should watch. 

Cracovia Krakow

Borys Dawid and Radoslaw Kot are two of Poland’s best prospects and have a chance to break out in Cracovia. The duo both got loan moves to Cracovia for the end of the 2026 season. Dawid had three points (1G-2A) in eight games, while Kot had two points (1G-1A) in six games. The loan came after big seasons with SMS Katowice and a strong showing at the D1A U18 World Championships. Despite not turning 19 til January, both look ready for a role in the Cracovia offense. 

GKS Katowice

Jakub Hofman and Jonasz Hofman both had breakout years in 2026. Jakub had 13 points (7G-6A), while Jonasz had 18 (5G-13A). The 21-year-olds showed they’re ready for the challenge of professional hockey. This season, the twins are expected to be a key part of Katowice, and even start pushing for the senior national team at non-IIHF events. The two already connected for a goal in Katowice’s opening match against Sanok. 

GKS Tychy

Jakub Janik has been impressive at the junior level, and it seems the 19-year-old will get a strong shot at Tychy’s senior team this year. A good combination of size and puck skills makes him a dangerous player in the offensive zone. He has shown some good flashes in the Champions Hockey League, averaging over 10 minutes a game and scoring against legendary Swiss club HC Davos. 

It was a crowded goaltending room in Tychy last year. While national team starter Tomáš Fučík took the majority of the load, the club also had Kamil Lewartowski, Szymon Chabior, and, later, Latvian Eriks Vitols. Now all alone in the backup role is Szymon Chabior. The 19-year-old got the first game of the year, stopping 14 of 15 against Podhale Nowy Targ. He should get plenty of more chances to get into games this year. That should raise his stock for the World Juniors.

JKH GKS Jastrzębie

There is a lot of young talent on this rebuilding squad. Bartłomiej Stolarski was one of the biggest standouts in 2026. His 11 points led all U20 skaters in the THL. With more key departures this offseason, Stolarski should have plenty of chances to move his way up the lineup. If Jastrzębie succeeds this year, it means players like Stolarski took another step.

Jastrzębie is taking a risky bet on Finnish goaltender Paavo Hölsä, who missed all of last season. As he is shaking off rust or if he struggles, it presents a massive opportunity for Kacper Michalski and Jakub Futryk. The young goalies each got a couple games last year, but I expect that workload to increase. 

KH Toruń

With Poland in real need of a national team defense revamp, Eryk Schafer is a key name to watch. If not for a late injury during the 2026 training camp, he might already have made his IIHF national team debut. After his 2026 breakout season, it will be interesting to see if he can take his game to an even higher level this year.

Patryk Napiórkowski is a player long hyped to me by Toruń fans. Last year, the 22-year-old became a regular part of the lineup, playing a career-high 33 THL games. With Ruslan Bashirov’s early-season absence, everyone has been shifted up a spot. Napiórkowski will be one of the young guys given a chance to try to fill that production gap. 

Podhale Nowy Targ

The standout defenseman at the 2026 D1A U18 World Championships was Wiktor Tanczyk. Tanczyk became the first defenseman to record a point-per-game tournament for Poland at the Division 1 level with 5 points in 5 games. With a crowded roster in Tychy, the 18-year-old will get a chance to play some senior games with Podhale. His two-way impact could be huge for the club as it returns to the THL. 

Dawid Lojas returned to Podhale last year, helping the club to a 1 Liga championship. Now he stays with the club as they move up to the THL. A former standout of SMS I Katowice, he also spent a season in Slovakia’s top junior league. The 20-year-old forward has a chance to show he can play at Poland’s top level. He was the lone goal scorer in Podhale’s opening match against Tychy, after finding a wide-open rebound. 

Polonia Bytom

Tobiasz Jaworski has clearly earned the trust of head coach Andrei Gusov, both from his time on the international stage and after his first season in Polonia Bytom. That trust showed up in game one of this year as Jaworski got the opening night start and stopped 24 of 25 against Unia Oświęcim. The, soon to be, 19-year-old has quickly become one of the top goaltending prospects in Poland, and he may start pushing to be a split starter in Polonia. 

Tymoteusz Petrazycki is one of the best goal scorers among Poland’s prospect pool. In 2026, he continued to dominate at the junior level, but his rookie THL year was a production slump, with just 1 assist in 17 games. The 19-year-old has already showcased a sophomore jump, picking up two assists in Polonia Bytom’s opening game. If his junior production starts to translate its a big deal for Polonia and Poland’s U20 squad. 

STS Sokil Sanok

Adam Sawicki and Krystian Lisowski have pretty similar, albeit different paths to Sanok. Both played in top hockey countries: Sawicki in the USA and Lisowski in Finland. Neither player played at the top level in their countries, with Sawicki in the NCDC and Lisowski in the U20 Mestis. Both had strong years and some nice production. How that will translate to the THL is a toss-up. Sanok will have to hope one of them is able to find offense at the professional level. 

Unia Oświęcim

Goalies have been a hot topic in this article, and we have another with Igor Tyczyński. Despite being just 20 years old, Tyczyński has long been considered Poland’s prized goaltending prospect. He showed that hype was real with a .915 SV% in 17 games in 2026. That is the most games played by a U20 goalie since national team great Przemysław Odrobny appeared in 18 in 2005. In the offseason, Oświęcim moved on from longtime star goalie Linus Lundin. Sami Aittokallio doesn’t feel like as safe of an option in net. That presents an opportunity for Tyczyński to further expand his role. 

Maksymilian Moscicki has been quietly rising up the ranks for a bit. The 18-year-old defenseman already has 52 THL games to his resume. With fellow young defenseman Kacper Prokopiak moving to the States, it’s hard to see Moscicki ever leaving the lineup. 

Zagłębie Sosnowiec

Olaf Zachariasz has a lot of speed and skill. Those traits have earned the 19-year-old his first professional deal with Sosnowiec. He wasted no time proving the club right by capitalizing on a turnover in the neutral zone, charging the net, and getting off a top-corner shot for his first THL goal. Already on a championship contender, the young forward could be the one who pushes them over the edge. 

Third among all U23 players in scoring last year was Adrian Gromadzki. He will look to take the title this year. So far, the 21-year-old has one on the board after deflecting a shot to score his first goal of 2027 in Sosnowiec’s opening 4-1 win over Cracovia. While Sosnowiec added a lot of talent in the offseason, fans should still expect another jump from the THL sophomore.

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!

Thumbnail Photo via polskihokej.eu