The women’s top 50 list has officially concluded for the year. It is now time to look at just some random notes for the list, like what the team had the most players or which player had the highest rise. It was a fun and challenging list, thanks to the pandemic. Significant judgment calls had to be made for some players, given the limited number of games. The goal this year was to grow the list to 50 players.
For those wondering, the 2022 list will be happening after the Women’s U18 Division 1 Group B Championship from September 5th to the 11th. This is partly due to the lack of games over the past few years and how late 2021 was finished. 2022 Top 50 Women’s U20 list will begin on September 12th.
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After plenty of delay for the rankings this year, we have reached the final piece in the series. Yours truly worked one full-time job and one part-time job so I apologize for the time it took. The PLHK playoffs for the 2022 season are ongoing as I write, and we’re still counting down the 2021 performances. The Men’s side finally saw the reign of Łyszczarczyk end as he aged off the list, and Zygmunt took the top spot. Every year on the men’s side, Łyszczarczyk was on top since I started the rankings. The women’s list has a similar standing, as every year, the same player stands on top. While Łyszczarczyk was on top for coming close to heights that Poles have not seen in decades, our number one on the women’s side is a revolutionary player.
Players had to be under 20 on June 30th, 2021. We are only judging play that occurred before that date as well. Players are evaluated based on a combination of career history, current play, and potential. While most of the ranking is my opinion, numerous Polish hockey people contributed their thoughts on players. Ninety-five players were considered for the list and reviewed, and fifty players received a ranking. Players 50-31 will be revealed at the end of the series in the breakdown article. Only the top 30 players receive a report.
Rank – Player Name (Position), Age During Next Hockey Season, Team (Ranking in 2020, change in rankings)
1 – Wiktoria Sikorska (F), 19, Göteborg HC, (1, 0)
Sikorska is the number one player for a third straight year. A truly revolutionary player for Poland. The confidence and skill that she plays with offensively is so fun to watch. She is the first Polish player to play in Sweden’s SDHL. The SDHL is considered by many to be the best women’s league in Europe. Many top national teams see their country’s best play their club seasons in the SDHL.
In the offseason, Sikorska signed with Göteborg HC of the SDHL. The signing got a bit of fanfare from the Ice Garden of SBNation in their SDHL preview.
“Sikorska led Karvina in scoring with eight goals and 10 assists in nine games. So, if you’re looking for a rising star on an underdog team to fall in love with, Sikorska is the player for you.”
While not the greatest club in the SDHL, they keep fighting off relegation. Sikorska recorded two goals and four assists in six games for her first season. While not eye-popping numbers, they were seventh on her team. When the team averages 1.27 goals per game, there will be some offensive struggles all around. It is rare for a U18 player to even appear in the league. Her six points were eight among all U18 players, and her two goals were tied for sixth.
Sikorska Goal vs. HV71
Playing in such a major league, we have access to more numbers and more data to look up. It helps paint a more accurate picture of a player’s season instead of just basic stats and the eye test. First, with a long history, we have plenty of seasons similar to Sikorskas; 71% of Sikorska’s matches had long SDHL careers after their U18 season. This is great news, as being an SDHL regular would be a new high for Polish hockey. Next, we also have a much better tool to help us see where Sikorska is in the SDHL, thanks to Mikael Nahabedian’s SDHL player comparable pool, which gives players ratings. Here is how Sikorska compares to the other top U18 forwards. While both on the lower end, her defensive game rated better than her offensive, which was interesting to me given how much we talk about her offensive game.
Players
Overall
Offense
Defense
Lova Blom
77
79
72
Nicole Hall
72
76
66
Maria Lindberg
65
66
63
Wilma Sjölund
60
64
51
Agnez Svensson
33
39
21
Hilda Svensson
32
42
11
Ella Albinsson
30
26
37
Wilma Sundin
25
13
47
Wiktoria Sikorska
23
20
28
Linnéa Pettersson Dove
20
19
29
Last, from Mikael Nahabedian and the Ice Garden, we have N-WHKYe. Networked Women’s Hockey Equivalency (N-WHKYe) is a metric that allows for the standardization of offensive production across more than 40 Women’s hockey leagues worldwide. We have a better idea of how Sikorska would fare in North America’s PHF or Russia’s ZhHL. Sikorska’s N-WHKYe was a 0.06. Which is t-197, out of 285 forwards from the PHF, SDHL, and ZnHL. It ranked t-90 out of 119 forwards in the SDHL.
There were some struggles for sure this year, and that is expected. She smoothly grades out as a below-average forward in the SDHL. As impressive as Sikorksa is, she was never going to make a massive impact right away in Sweden. It is the best league in Europe for a reason, and it is a significant step up from Czechia’s top league and the EWHL. There will be some growing pains, especially with the quality of Göteborg HC. She is a rising star with no ceiling, and it is going to be fun watching her develop in one of the best leagues in Europe.
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We have now reached the top 2 players. A part of the ranking that has long been dominated by two people. Now one of those two has aged out of the rankings. Despite the open spot at number two, it was always obvious who was going to take that spot. Polish hockey has two players that are constantly breaking new ground for Polish players and they have yet to even turn 20. The most challenging choice of the rankings was who was number 1 and who had to be number two.
Players had to be under 20 on June 30th, 2021. We are only judging play that occurred before that date as well. Players are evaluated based on a combination of career history, current play, and potential. While most of the ranking is my opinion, numerous Polish hockey people contributed their thoughts on players. Ninety-five players were considered for the list and reviewed, and fifty players received a ranking. Players 50-31 will be revealed at the end of the series in the breakdown article. Only the top 30 players receive a report.
Rank – Player Name (Position), Age During Next Hockey Season, Team (Ranking in 2020, change in rankings)
2 – Julia Zielińska (D), 17, Kiekko-Espoo, (3, +1)
Zielińska moves up to second on the list, while in past years, goaltender Martyna Sass had locked down the number two spot. Sass aged off the list, but regardless Zielińska would have been number two while making a strong case for number 1. A big part of that number 1 case is her position. Defensemen are harder to develop, in my opinion. Especially when it comes to growing your game, teams only carry around six on their roster. So if you’re going to take up one as an import, you better be worth it. Zielińska has proved to Kiekko-Espoo that she is more than worth it.
The Sanok native became a more regular player in the Naisten Liiga, the top women’s league in Finland. She played 12 games total, eight in the regular season and four playoff games. She also appeared in 12 games in the Metsis Q, the second division in Finland, where her offensive game flourished. There she scored eight goals and recorded nine assets. Her 17 points were the second most by all U18 defensemen. Her 1.42 point per game average was the most among all U18 defensemen during the 2021-22 season. It is the fifth-best all-time among all U18 defensemen. She also played in six games in Finland’s U18 league, the U18 Aluesarja, where she added another six goals and two assists. Not to mention it was a championship-winning season in the top league.
This was no doubt an outstanding season by a great young player. Finland is most likely the best women’s hockey country outside of North America right now for development. Giving Zielińska a great environment to apply and grow her game. She is in the perfect situation and example of why Polish players need to go abroad due to the lack of coaching and amenities for Polish players. Seeing her play now versus just a couple of years ago is a night and day comparison. She is already one of Poland’s best defenders.
One of the biggest things that make her stick out from other Polish defenders is her offensive ability. There is no one like her in Poland for either national team; Klaudia Chrapek would have probably been the closest comparable. But her offensive potential from the blue line is what takes a top line and power-play unit to the next level. Her overall game continues to get better. At only 17-years-old this year, there is also a lot of time left to grow.
That growth will continue in Finland. As for the 2022 season, Zielińska will be in a more significant role with Kiekko-Espoo, along with a heavily relied on player for the Polish national team at the Olympic Qualifiers and world championships. In December, she would also be on Poland’s U18 squad for the U18s after 2021’s tournament was canceled due to Covid. She will likely still be included on the roster that fights for promotion in the summer. Overall one of the best defenders to ever come out of Poland, and the sky is the limit.
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Now just the final three left in the rankings. These three are special players that have no right to be as good as they are just based on the odds of how Polish hockey has developed. The odds didn’t matter though, and at such a young age, they have inspired a generation of hockey fans in Poland that bigger things are possible. Two of the top three are very close in age, and have already made a tremendous impact on the sport in the country, while our number three player is a bit behind them in age, they have made their own impact in a very short time.
Players had to be under 20 on June 30th, 2021. We are only judging play that occurred before that date as well. Players are evaluated based on a combination of career history, current play, and potential. While most of the ranking is my opinion, numerous Polish hockey people contributed their thoughts on players. Ninety-five players were considered for the list and reviewed, and fifty players received a ranking. Players 50-31 will be revealed at the end of the series in the breakdown article. Only the top 30 players receive a report.
When I ranked Łąpieś last year, she was only 14 turning 15 soon and had just put up a 20 point year in the PLHK A. There are a lot of really young forwards in the PLHK A that put up great numbers in their early years, and then try to chase that point total for the rest of their career. Of course, there is a multitude of reasons for this. One big thing you never see out of a lot of those players is a massive leap in their skillset. They rise, but not to the level their early success in the PLHK A would indicate. Łąpieś was already a different beast then them putting up 20 points in her first senior season.
Łąpieś Goal vs. Latvia
Her 2021 season would suggest a similar path to a lot of the players I alluded to previously. As she went from 20 points in the regular season to just 11. But that doesn’t tell the whole story of her season and play. As she has quickly become one of the most lethal offensive options in Poland. Her game in the opposing zone is the complete package, and she is not only going to be a dominating force in Polish senior leagues but outside of Poland as well. If she wants to expand her game outside of Poland, I don’t believe it would be due to a lack of options at all.
Łąpieś did play in Poland for the 2022 season staying with Gdansk and earning larger roles with national teams both at the IIHF and EWHL levels. All rankings are based on 2021 play, but it would be hard for me to write about her, and not acknowledge the fact, the proof is there in 2022 that Łąpieś is a special player. I hope her success this year is enough for a team outside of Poland to present her an offer that would get her to leave Poland. Regardless Poland already has their next top 6 forward, and potentially someone that could pass Sikorska or Pozniewska.
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The march into the top ten continues as we reach the top five and those who just missed out. While this article features our player with the highest debut season on the list, we also start to get into a few players who have remained at the top of the list throughout the years. We are also now starting to reach more players who spent their 2021 season outside of Poland.
Players had to be under 20 on June 30th, 2021. We are only judging play that occurred before that date as well. Players are evaluated based on a combination of career history, current play, and potential. While most of the ranking is my opinion, numerous Polish hockey people contributed their thoughts on players. Ninety-five players were considered for the list and reviewed, and fifty players received a ranking. Players 50-31 will be revealed at the end of the series in the breakdown article. Only the top 30 players receive a report.
Rank – Player Name (Position), Age During Next Hockey Season, Team (Ranking in 2020, change in rankings)
7 – Julia Skręt (F), 16, Polonia Bytom, (Not Ranked)
Skręt’s career continues to rise just like her ranking, which is the highest debut ranking this year. A strong performance with Janow in the PLHK B led to her joining the powerhouse that is Polonia Bytom. The talented young forward would record three goals and one assist in 15 games across the regular season and playoffs. She spent most of her time during the year in the juniors with UKS Zagłębie Sosnowiec at the Młodzik ŚZHL (U16) level.
Her strong performance in Poland and potential led to the Tychy native going abroad and joining Södertälje SK in Sweden. They are one of the best women’s teams in Sweden’s second division. The same league where other Polish stars like Kamila Wieczorek, Olivia Tomczak, and Wiktoria Sikorska applied their trade. Skręt will be the youngest Polish skater to ever appear in the league.
6 – Ida Talanda (RW), 18, Polonia Bytom, (13, +7)
Talanda is Poland’s best-kept secret. While other players have received interest or made headlines due to going abroad, Talanda has stayed in Poland and flourished. The Krynica native has long been ready for senior hockey, waiting for that special breakout moment. I feel she definitely came close to that in 2021, being only one of two U18 players that played with Metropolis Katowice in the EWHL. There she played 14 games and recorded one assist. In Poland, she recorded a career-high of 18 points (12G-6A-18PTS) in 15 games for Polonia Bytom. Her regular-season 11 points were tenth among all skaters.
Talanda Goal vs. Gdansk
5 – Iga Schramm (F), 19, Neuchâtel Hockey Academy Dames, (5, 0)
Despite the COVID-19 year, Iga Schramm was still able to go abroad and play her first season outside Poland. She was a late addition to the roster of Swiss club Neuchâtel Hockey Academy Dames, who play in the top level of Swiss Hockey. The 18-year-old posted two assists in 21 games. While not eye-popping numbers, it is in line with what most other young players posted in the SWHL A. Her lone regular-season assist put her tied for 19th in points among U20 skaters. Neuchâtel Hockey Academy Dames finished second last in the league, scoring only 38 goals in 20 games. The lack of production is not surprising for a few reasons. Schramm is returning to Poland with Poznan and a great year of experience under her belt.
Due to my choice to not punish players for lack of games during the COVID season, Zuzanna Baran’s ranking was just kinda frozen as she only played one game in Slovakia for the 2021 season. She did record a single assist in her lone game.
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We have now hit the top ten of our rankings. It was a really explosive year for newcomers on the list, as three players who were not ranked the previous year have found themselves in the top ten. While three other players have gigantic rises to make the top. In fact, a whole four players from last year’s top ten were able to survive and stay in the ten best.
Players had to be under 20 on June 30th, 2021. We are only judging play that occurred before that date as well. Players are evaluated based on a combination of career history, current play, and potential. While most of the ranking is my opinion, numerous Polish hockey people contributed their thoughts on players. Ninety-five players were considered for the list and reviewed, and fifty players received a ranking. Players 50-31 will be revealed at the end of the series in the breakdown article. Only the top 30 players receive a report.
Rank – Player Name (Position), Age During Next Hockey Season, Team (Ranking in 2020, change in rankings)
10 – Lena Zięba (F), 15, Polonia Bytom, (Not Ranked)
Zięba jumps all the way to the top 10. She had just missed being ranked in the previous edition after a strong year with Janow in the PLHK B and later training with the Metropolis Katowice in the EWHL. She moved from Janow to Polonia Bytom, a great sign for anyone’s future. Not only that, but she delivered at both the senior and junior levels. She scored 15 goals and added two assists in 19 games in the Żak Starszy ŚZHL while posting three goals and one assist in eight PLHK A games. She is showing a lot of promise, and I’m very disappointed we haven’t been able to see her at the IIHF level yet. She scored two goals and two assists in two exhibition games vs. Latvia. This was all done in her aged 14 season.
Lena Zięba Goal vs. Latvia
9 – Julia Łapińska (F), 16, Stoczniowiec Gdansk, (21, +12)
Łapińska makes a huge jump on the list, moving from the 20s to the top ten. The Elblag native posted a new career-high in points for the PLHK A with 12 points (5G, 7A, 12PTS) in 15 games. Łapińska has continued to improve and improve on her craft in Gdansk and is poised to be a strong young player for Poland. Her talent level is beyond her years, and she is already contributing to senior teams in a major role at just 16-years-old. I’m not sure what her ceiling would project to be right now. I think her floor is a top PLHK player who makes national team appearances.
8 – Maja Brzezińska (F), 16, Stoczniowiec Gdansk, (Not Ranked)
From one great young Gdansk star to the next, with more to come, Brzezińska comes in ranked in the top ten in her first ranking. She is also the second-highest debut ranking for this year. It is well deserved after posting eight goals and seven assists in 12 regular-season games this year. Her 15 points were seventh among all skaters in PLHK A. Another player with lost U18 IIHF experiences due to the pandemic cancellations. But she made her presence felt when Poland took on Latvia, scoring two goals and assisting on five other goals in just two games. She generates scoring rates at such a high rate whenever on the ice. Often leaving her teammates with easy finishes.
Maja Brzezińska Goal vs. Latvia
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Once again Polonia Bytom are the champions of Poland’s top women’s league. This marks the seventh straight championship season for Polonia. In the best of three series, they defeated repeat finalist Stoczniowca Gdańsk in just two games.
In the first game of the finals, Polonia Bytom showed why they’re the most dominant team in Polish hockey history with a 5-2 victory. In game two, Gdańsk left it all out on the ice. The first half of the game was filled with action both teams scoring twice. The final 30 minutes of the game would remain score-less though. With the title on the line the two teams went into overtime, where Ida Talanda scored the golden goal to give Polonia Bytom the win.
Full Final Game 2
Prior to knocking off Gdańsk, Polonia Bytom easily marched through the playoffs. In round one, they defeated UKH Biale Jastrzebie in two games, outscoring them 46-2. In the second round, they matched up with PTH Kozice Poznan. While Ponzan put up a better fight, they still were swept in two games, only managing one goal to Polonia’s 17.
The championship result was the expected outcome for the red and blue. Polonia Bytom went 16-0 in the regular season. Not only were they undefeated, but they scored 211 goals while only allowing 12. Their goal differential of +199, was 54 more than second-place Stoczniowca Gdańsk. Bytom was once again led by Polish legend Karolina Późniewska. Późniewska recorded a lead leaguing 116 points (58G-58A-116PTS) in just 16 games. Olivia Tomczok (62 points), Wiktoria Dziwok (44 points), Ida Talanda (41 points), and Klaudia Chrapek (40 points), also all cracked the PLHK’s regular-season top ten in scoring.
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After more delays, we are now into the top half of the rankings with our best 15 players. Some players in the top 15 definitely benefit from their reputation as their amount of games was limited. The next five players are a mix of players that have made big strides or taken a big fall in our rankings, along with one defender that continues to just miss out on making the top ten. We will also see our top-ranked goalie, a spot that was up for grabs after Sass aged out of the list.
Players had to be under 20 on June 30th, 2021. We are only judging play that occurred before that date as well. Players are evaluated based on a combination of career history, current play, and potential. While most of the ranking is my opinion, numerous Polish hockey people contributed their thoughts on players. Ninety-five players were considered for the list and reviewed, and fifty players received a ranking. Players 50-31 will be revealed at the end of the series in the breakdown article. Only the top 30 players receive a report.
Rank – Player Name (Position), Age During Next Hockey Season, Team (Ranking in 2020, change in rankings)
15 – Katarzyna Zaborska (D), 19, Unia Oswiecim, (27, +12)
We finished the last article with two straight Oscwiecim players and open the list with one to make it three straight. Zaborska makes her biggest jump up the list in her final year in the rankings. The almost veteran of the PLHK at this point had a great season in the PLHK. The biggest reason for her large jump was she became a full-time member of Metropolis Katowice in the EWHL, playing 13 games. Zaborska was one of two U20 players to play in the EWHL for Poland this year. Clearly a sign of what the management and coaching staff think of her. She is definitely one to watch for senior national team games soon.
Baran drops in her final year on the list. The talented forward remains a big part of Poland’s future. This drop was more about a couple of new players receiving huge debut rankings versus her own play. The Debica native posted 25 points (13G-12A-25PTS) in 16 games, down two points from her 2020 total. Her regular season 20 points were tied for fourth in the PLHK B. I would imagine Baran has a chance to start vying for national team spots soon, but no chances have come in the EWHL.
Kobus climb up the rankings after posting 17 points in 12 regular-season games, and this was up from her last season in the PLHK A. Her 17 ponts were also sixth among all skaters in the PLHK B. Kobus would have made her third appearance for the U18 squad in 2021 if not for Covid. Kobus has performed exceptionally well at the B level but not as strong against Poland’s top teams, that should change as she continues to gain more experience.
Kobus drop pass assist vs. Latvia
12 – Helena Grzybowska (G), 19, PTH Kozice Poznan (12, +6)
Grzybowska took a large fall in the rankings and only didn’t fall further due to it being a covid season. A break-out year in 2020 saw success in the EWHL, PLHK, Slovakia’s top league, and, of course, on the international stage. It was the kind of performance that raised the question of Poland possibly having a lethal duo with Sass and Grzybowska. In 2021 though, Grzybowska only played in four games. The Poznan native posted a .760% save percentage in her lone regular-season appearance but did appear in form with a .906% save percentage in her three playoff appearances.
Patla stays consistent in her final ranking. A rise in the ranking would have happened if not for a big jumper. The Polonia Bytom two-way defender posted a new career-high in points after recording five goals and three assists in 15 games. Patla appeared in the EWHL during the 2020 season but did not make any appearances for the team in 2021. The soon-to-be 20-year-old is already a three-time PLHK champion.
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We are now in the top 20 of the rankings. This group features one of the biggest risers and one of the highest new additions to the list. Compared to the men’s list, there is a lot of shake-up in the top 20 section. While most of this, I’ll attribute to covid years, quite a few young players really shot up the rankings.
Players had to be under 20 on June 30th, 2021. We are only judging play that occurred before that date as well. Players are evaluated based on a combination of career history, current play, and potential. While most of the ranking is my opinion, numerous Polish hockey people contributed their thoughts on players. Ninety-five players were considered for the list and reviewed, and fifty players received a ranking. Players 50-31 will be revealed at the end of the series in the breakdown article. Only the top 30 players receive a report.
Rank – Player Name (Position), Age During Next Hockey Season, Team (Ranking in 2020, change in rankings)
20 – Alicja Sowa (F), 17, Polonia Bytom, (22, +2)
Polonia Bytom players are sometimes hard to fully judge on stats due to the stacked nature of the team, especially with the number of veterans. Last year, Sowa’s numbers were down but she still managed three assists in eight games. She also scored her first career goal in Poland’s U16 league with Polonia Bytom. She likely would have been named to her third straight U18 squad if not for the tournament cancellation. Sowa will still be eligible for the U18s in 2022.
19 – Julia Bujak (G), 18, Polonia Bytom, (Not Ranked)
Bujak jumps high on the list after she was likely to be the starting goalie for Poland at this year’s U18. There was not a lot to go on for young goalies last year. In both of her PLHK A appearances, she only played a combined 30 minutes but didn’t allow a goal in that time. She did play in two men’s u16 league games as well, allowing 16 goals, in matches Polonia Bytom lost 35-7. Again, there’s not much to say about a season with zero recorded full games. Throughout the year, Bujak was named to multiple U18 national teams battling for the number 1 spot but did not play in the games. Latvia.
Zofia Postel moves up a spot on the list in her final year. The two-way defender followed her strong 2020 season with a similar 2021, posting seven assists in 13 games. It was a career-high in points, but the first season she failed to score a goal in the PLHK. Four of her assists were also primary assists, a new career-high. Her size will always work against her, and skating will need to improve, but she showed a lot of great reads and passing ability this year. Making those key passes and breakouts already put her ahead of many Polish defensewomen.
17 – Anna Kot (D), 17, Unia Oswiecim, (17, +0)
Kot is staying even with her ranking this year. Kot is one of the best U18 defenders in Poland, and its a shame she has missed out on two U18 tournaments. She will turn 18 at the beginning of next year too, so 2022 will be her final U18 team appearance. She did play in Poland U18’s two games against Latvia U18, picking up one assist. In her PLHK season, Kot recorded one assist in 11 games. In the playoffs, her production picked up with two goals and an assist in five games. A rising star in the Polish ranks, expect to start watching her for some senior chances in just the next couple of years.
Anna Kot Shot and Assist vs Latvia U18
16 – Justyna Zyla (F), 16, Unia Oswiecim (26, +10)
From one Osiwiecim player to the next on our list. Zyla has long been playing in high-level situations at such a young age, and during the 2020-21 season, she had her breakout year. Oswiecim was the lowest-scoring team in PLHK A, but Zyla still managed a new career-high in points with two goals and assist in 12 games, and then five goals in five games during the PLHK playoffs. Add in a solid junior season, and Zyla really started to show she is ready for top-line chances. This included what would have been her second U18 tournament last year, but she will be another player to miss multiple U18s due to the pandemic.
Justyna Zyla Goal vs. Latvia
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The Polish national team has received a big boost as Tatiana Onyshchenko has gained Polish citizenship. The 22-year-old Ukrainian forward has excelled in Poland and has long been one of the best skaters in the PLHK. This move has long been rumored and was years in the making, and now we know she will be suiting up for Poland as soon as the World Championships this year in April.
Onyshchenko first came to Poland for the 2014 season. Since then she has played in Poland for Stoczniowiec Gdansk every year except for a one-year stop in Sweden with Karlskrona HK. She captured a championship in 2015 while securing two silver medals as well. Since she arrived in the PLHK, the Kyiv native has had the third-most points with 255 points across 121 games. She also appeared for Metropolis Katowice scoring 12 goals and assisting on four in 24 games across the past two years.
The Polish national team upswing has continued. Onyshchenko will be the first import to suit up for the team. She will also easily be one of the top forwards on the national team, massively helping shore up the top six. This April team Poland will have their first chance to play in the World Championship since 2019, when the red and white won bronze. After the team’s success in the Olympic qualifier, Poland will be looking for gold this year.
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