For the past few years, I have taken an approach to Polish hockey that is a bit dark at times, wondering if there is any end in sight for the downfall that Polish hockey had begun. While also stressing at the same time that there was young talent there to help build the national team. That young talent has to lead us to the light at the end of the tunnel. Poland pulled off a massive upset over Belarus. This win was mainly due to the heroics of John Murray, yes the most Polish name to ever to Polish. The team in front of Murray executed the game plan to a key. Poland was outshot by plenty. Most of the shots were forced to the outside and not key scoring areas.
Poland would drop the final two games, losing 5-1 to Slovakia and then 4-1 to Austria. While the last two losses hurt, they can’t destroy the high from the first win at the final stage of Olympic qualification for Poland.
Am I an Idiot?
In my post dissecting the Polish roster beforehand, I criticized the overly defensive forward group that Kalaber brought to the tournament. Poland only scored three goals in this tournament, less than the six goals when Poland was in the final qualification round for the previous Olympics. Could Poland have used those goal scorers? Yes, but also Kalaber brought the players for his plan. Those players executed the plan strongly, and Poland stayed competitive and won a game. So I am going to say I was wrong there.
Alan the Iron Man
We already have gone on about Lyszczarczyk’s outstanding play last year, especially with his 90 plus games played this past season. Now just a couple of months later, he was suiting up for team Poland against the best competition he has faced potentially in his career. He did not appear out of place, recording three assists to lead Poland in points and tied for the tournament lead in points.
With three seconds left on the power play, Poland scores its first of the game. 3-1.
There was no doubt that John Murray was the MVP of this tournament for Poland. The American turned Pole was an absolute stud in this tournament. While the team in front of him tried to take as much pressure off as possible. He had to stop a total of 124 shots total, including his 46 save shutout versus Belarus. Polish goaltending is going to be in good hands for the remainder of his national team career.
Polish goaltender John Murray, a native of Lancaster, PA and former OHL goalie for Kitchener and Kingston, stopped all 46 shots he faced, including 20 in the third period for the shutout. Filip Komorski scored the only goal with 5 minutes left in the game. https://t.co/838rmBsJeX
Polish players need to go abroad to reach their full potential. Getting the level of coaching and training that others possess will take years and money that the PZHL doesn’t have right now. When Zygmunt left Poland, he had a lot of potential, but his game had many flaws. Ever since he started playing in Czechia, he is a changed player. Zygmunt especially knows how to use his size now, along with significant strides in his skating. He is one of the most critical players in Poland’s future.
Pas’ Time
This year, Dominik Pas is set to play his first season aboard in the top league of Slovakia men’s hockey. HK Dukla Michalovce is getting a good one. When Pas was on the ice, he made a solid impact and was a pain in the ass to play against. Pas’ forechecking and two-way ability gives him a complete skillset that a lot of other players lack. I’m excited to see how he will grow against stronger competition with improved training.
Quick thoughts
Pasiut is such a welcome return to the national team. Lead the team in shots on goal with 11.
Penalties were low this tournament, and it was good to see, especially when the competition plays so much faster. Still some at bad times, but Poland was last in penalty minutes.
On the flip side, Poland had the best penalty kill in the tournament, allowing a single goal while shorthanded.
I’m proud of this team. They did the unthinkable and got us all to believe the Olympics were possible, even if for a second.
The young core of the national team is here. Alan Lyszczarczyk (23), Kamil Walega, Pawel Zygmunt, and Dominik Pas (21) were key players in this tournament. That is not even counting Damian Tyczyński, Jakub Lewandowski, and Jan Soltys. They’re the light at the end of the tunnel.
The offseason continues to be in full swing and we have the next home of the Polish Prince. Alan Łyszczarczyk will be playing with HC Frydek-Mistek in the Change Liga according to the team’s website. He will be playing for them on a loan from top Czech league team HC Ocelari Trinec.
While this return had been previously reported about for the Podhale native. I was curious to see if anything would change after a fantastic end to season that Łyszczarczyk had with Fort Wayne, including winning the Kelly Cup. Overall Łyszczarczyk played the most games of anyone in professional hockey last year recording 52 points (22G-30A-52PTS) in 84 games across the ECHL and Polska Hokej Liga.
Łyszczarczyk will be reuniting with his countrymen and Polish national team members Bartosz Ciura and Filip Komorski. Both players signed similar deals earlier in the offseason. Last year HC Frydek-Mistek finsihed 14th in the Chance Liga, missing the playoffs. This was the team’s worst finish since being promoted to the 2nd league. It makes sense the team added three Poles with winning experience.
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As we were drawing close to the end of this hockey year, it was looking like it was going to be a year to forget for Alan Łyszczarczyk. It was not the follow-up year that many had expected out of the Polish Prince.
In 2020, the Podhale native lit up the ECHL as a rookie. He racked up 46 points in 57 games before the rest of the season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Not only was he offensively on fire, but during the year he gained the trust of his coaching staff to earn opportunities late and in more defensive situations. The only thing that was missing was an American Hockey League call-up that never came.
The pandemic created a rocky offseason with no one knowing who was going to be playing or what opportunities would actually be there. The Komets had made Łyszczarczyk a restricted free agent, but later traded his rights to the Idaho Steelheads. As those transactions were happening in the ECHL, Łyszczarczyk was making moves back in Europe. He had signed a tryout deal with HC Litvinov in the Tipsport Extraliga.
This was Alan’s second tryout in the top level of Czech hockey. It ended like the first with no deal in place. Podhale Nowy Targ then brought him home, signing him to a deal with the knowledge that he would be opting out eventually to play in North America.
Despite the fact that his time in Poland may be short, as there was a lot of uncertainty in the United States. It seemed like a star signing for Podhale, especially given how players with even less ECHL success had performed in the PHL. While he was definitely one of the team’s better forwards, he often was stuck on the lower lines of the team. Not getting many chances to truly break out. Can you blame the team though? They knew he wouldn’t be there late in the year. Still, during his 23 games, the Polish prince managed 10 goals and 8 assists.
I don’t want to call his time in Poland a disappointment, but it felt like it should have been a bigger deal. The best Polish player of this generation was in the PHL. Especially in a year where players like Dziubinski, Kolusz, and Zygmunt played outside of Poland. The PHL lacked some Polish star power.
2020 had come to an end and on January 2nd, it was a new chapter for Łyszczarczyk. It was announced by Podhale Nowy Targ, that he would be leaving the club and returning to North America. Łyszczarczyk was declared a free agent by the ECHL, after the Idaho Steelheads opted out of playing in the 2021 season. The soon-to-be 23-year-old signed with the Orlando Solar Bears, the ECHL affiliate of the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The Lightning are one of the best at developing through all levels of the minors. It seemed like a great fit. Łyszczarczyk was also off to a hot start scoring two goals and an assist in his first five games. He would then go scoreless in his remaining eight games with the club. He often found himself a healthy scratch during this time as well.
Oilers acquire forward Alan Lyszczarczyk from the @OrlandoHockey
On March 14th, the young Pole found himself on his technically fourth club of the year as he was traded to the Tulsa Oilers for future considerations. It was probably a welcomed change, as Łyszczarczyk struggled to get into the lineup in Orlando.
Things would get even worse though in Tulsa. Łyszczarczyk was snake bitten, as he rocked a 0.0% shooting percentage on 38 shots. He would record a whole 4 assists in 18 games with the Tulsa Oilers, three of the assists coming in his final three games. Those final three assists were the first sign of life in his ECHL campaign in a while.
Earlier in the year, Podhale brought Łyszczarczyk back home to where he was born. On April 19th, Fort Wayne brought him back to his ECHL home. Trading defenseman Curtis Leonard for Łyszczarczyk in a one-for-one deal.
Ben Boudreau, the Fort Wayne Komets head coach, was once again in charge of Łyszczarczyk. The pairing worked out really well the previous year, as Łyszczarczyk’s all-around game took a huge step forward. In 2021, it was like the Polish Prince never left. In 19 regular-season games for the Komets, Łyszczarczyk recorded 7 goals and 9 assists, over double his point total with the Oilers and Solar Bears combined.
His production continued into the playoffs, where he has recorded another three goals and four assists in the opening rounds. One of those three goals being the magic goal to send the Fort Wayne Komets to the ECHL finals. After such a long and daunting season, Łyszczarczyk secured the Western Championship for Fort Wayne.
His dominance continued into the finals, where he posted five assists in a three-to-one series win over the South Carolina Stingrays. The Fort Wayne Komets are the 2021 Kelly cup Champions! And one of the most crucial moves in achieving that feat was potentially an all-time franchise trade in reacquiring their Polish fan favorite. In his 30 games with the Komets, Łyszczarczyk recorded 10 goals and 17 assists. Between Poland and his first two ECHL clubs, he had 12 goals and 13 assists in 54 games.
No one has played more than Łyszczarczyk this year, which is insane to think about. A five-team 84 game season, not including the preseason. It is 88 games, if you include his four games at the Ceska Cup with HC Litvinov. It rightfully ends with him as a champion. The first-ever Polish player to win the Kelly Cup. Also, the first to win a championship in North American hockey since Oliwa won the Stanley Cup.
Łyszczarczyk is nicknamed the Polish Prince in Fort Wayne. Poland is his home, where he leads the next generation of the national team. It is clear though that there is just something about Fort Wayne that clicks with the prince. Almost like a second home for Łyszczarczyk.
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In what is a crazy year that continues to be spontaneous for Poland’s best player. Alan Łyszczarczyk has found himself traded to the Tulsa Oilers. The Orlando Solar Bears have been pretty quick to make moves this year, so this trade comes as no surprise. It seems it was be traded or be cut for the prince of Poland, as the Solar Bears traded him for only future considerations, likely nothing in the ECHL.
Łyszczarczyk started the year with Podhale Nowy Targ in the PHL. He did well in the blue and yellow, recording ten goals and eight assists in 23 games. His return to the ECHL has not been as strong as the forward only has two goals and one assist in 13 games. He has not recorded a point in his past eight games. The 23-year-old recorded 46 points (19-27-46) in 57 games the previous year with the Fort Wayne Komets of the ECHL.
The Tulsa Oilers will be Alan’s third ECHL team. The Oilers are the ECHL affiliate of the Anaheim Ducks of the NHL, and with the San Diego Gulls of the AHL. They currently sit fifth in the Western Conference of the ECHL with 15 wins, 14 losses, and three overtime losses. They currently are second to last in goals for in the ECHL this year with 72. (Fort Wayne has less, but they have only played 14 games.) They have to be hoping Łyszczarczyk can recapture his scoring touch.
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Alan Łyszczarczyk will be returning to the USA, and back to playing the in the ECHL. The top Polish forward started the year playing in Poland for Podhale Nowy Targ. The COVID-19 pandemic forced the ECHL to delay their season til late 2020. Before the season, Łyszczarczyk’s rights were traded to the Idaho Steelheads by the Fort Wayne Komets. The Steelheads though forfeited his rights, once it was announced they won’t be apart of the of the first ECHL start date. In his lone PHL season, he recorded 10 goals and 10 assists in 23 games. He would often play in the bottom forward lines for Podhale, as the team prepared for a future without him. That future has come as the team announced that Łyszczarczyk was returning to the USA.
Alan Łyszczarczyk już opuścił Stolicę Podhala, by kontynuować swoją karierę w USA 🇺🇸 Alan zagrał 23 spotkania w barwach Podhala, zdobywając 10 goli i 10 asyst 💪 Życzymy powodzenia i dziękujemy za grę z Szarotką na piersi❗@TauronPE#Podhale#NowyTarg#hokej#hokejplpic.twitter.com/Fgdc5NHUNV
Hokej.net is now reporting that his return is to be with the Orlando Solar Bears of the ECHL. It is an interesting move as the Solar Bears is the ECHL affiliate of the Tampa Bay Lightning, a team that has taken their development in the minor leagues very seriously. The previous year, Alan played with the Fort Wayne Komets putting up 19 goals and 27 assists in 57 games. One of the best seasons among ECHL rookies. Recently some his teammates from that Fort Wayne team signed in Poland. Former Canucks draft pick Brett McKenzie, who played on a line with Łyszczarczyk, signed in Unia Oswiecim, while defensemen Taylor Doherty signed in Krakow.
The Orlando Solar Bears are off to a good start with four wins in their first five games. The team finished fifth in the ECHL last year, but the playoffs were cancelled due to COVID. The team’s head coach and GM is Drake Berehowsky. Berehowsky is a former long time NHL player with over 500 NHL games to his resume. He also has a connection with Łyszczarczyk, as Berehowsky was an associate coach with the Sudbury Wolves from 2015 to 2017, the same years that Alan played for the OHL club.
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_.
We have now reached the top five of the list. When making the list, I had about three tiers of players divided by what I believe the player was most likely capable of. The top five are their own tier of players that I would label as the definitive players that are the future of Polish hockey. These five players have the potential to elevate Polish hockey to a new level. They’re all more than capable of being top players in Poland, or key players outside the country. Poland reaching the elite division and staying there relies a lot on these players reaching their full potential.
Rank – Player Name (Position), Age During Next Hockey Season, Team (Ranking in 2019, change in rankings
1 – Alan Łyszczarczyk (F), 23, Fort Wayne Komets, (1,0)
One of the my favorite things about doing this list is tracking the movement of players, seeing whose rised and fell. Since I started the list when it was only a top 10 list with U20 players, one player has always held the top spot. That is Łyszczarczyk who is without a doubt on track to be the best Polish forward of this century. The number one spot in this list has always been obvious because of that.
Łyszczarczyk officially kicked off his professional hockey career this year, after signing with the Fort Wayne Komets of the ECHL. Łyszczarczyk was coming off his best junior hockey season to date after his overage season in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). Along with playing for the Komets, he was invited to the training camp of the Chicago Wolves in the American Hockey League. With the Wolves he appeared in one preseason game. The Podhale native showed everyone what a force he could be when early in training camp one his shots broke the glass on the boards.
He quickly became a fan-favorite for the team as he flourished on the ice. In his rookie ECHL season, the six foot Polish forward recorded 19 goals and 27 assist for 46 points in 57 games. His point total was tied for 46th overall in the league. Among U23 players his points ranked ninth in the league. It was also fifth among rookies in the ECHL this year. It earned him rookie of the year honors on the Komets team.
Perhaps he is signing in Litvinov because he sees better opportunity there, but an AHL team could have offered him a contract at any point during the 19-20 season.
A 98 birthday, he was 13th in u24 scoring. 8 of the players ahead of him were drafted or under NHL contract.
This tweet really stuck out to me, as it something that has always rung true about Łyszczarczyk. He seems to have the statistics that others players who get drafted or receive big chances do. At the time of writing a few years ago, only three players that matched Łyszczarczyk’s OHL rookie year production did not get drafted. Of the top 10 U23 players for points in the ECHL, Łyszczarczyk is one of the only two to not receive any kind of American Hockey League call-up during the season. One of the issues that hurt his OHL years was consistent production. It wasn’t a problem this year in the ECHL.
Points vs. Date
The reason may lie in something that has nothing to do with his offensive game though. “He’s got vision that you can’t teach, He can see the open ice. He skates extremely well. He can make those skill plays. He places the puck where he wants to. Offensively, he’s really gifted. The only thing keeping him out of the next level is his defensive awareness. That’s why he’s here, to learn that. I think he’s getting better at that,” Fort Wayne coach Ben Boudreau told the Journal Gazette.
Komets coach Ben Boudreau on Alan Lyszczarczyk: “He’s a dynamic player. To tell you the truth, I know he scored two goals, and everybody’s going to remember that, but he was on the ice 6-on-5 in that last minute because he earned the trust of the coaching staff.
During the year Łyszczarczyk was able to earn the trust of the coaching staff in defensive situations. This is just showing another evolution in his game. Everything I could tell you about him as a player is the same as the quotes from Boudreau. Łyszczarczyk is a like firework show on offense, you just have to sit back and enjoy. Offensively he can shoot with the best of them, break any defenders’ ankles, and set up his teammates for the easiest goals of their lives. His all-around game is really starting to come together and that is going to open a lot of doors at the next level.
Next season is all mystery still in the COVID-19 world. The Komets did initially make Łyszczarczyk a restricted free agent, but Łyszczarczyk returned to Europe and joined fellow young national team forward Pawel Zygmunt on HC Litvinov. HC Litvinov plays in the top level of Czechia hockey the Tipsport Extraliga. Club director Pavel Hynek commented on the signing saying, “Alan is a player who records progress every year. He achieved excellent results in the youth categories in the Czech Republic and was able to confirm them both in the Canadian junior and in the first season among men.” As of right now, the deal is only a one-month tryout.
Right after he agreed to his try-out in Czechia, more news broke on his future. The Idaho Steelheads traded for his ECHL rights. Their head coach Everett Sheen offered a lot of praise, “Alan is a tremendous young talent and had a very productive rookie season. We are excited to add a young offensive talent like him.” As of writing the ECHL has not announced any return to play plans.
This was Łyszczarczyk’s last year on the list. It has been interesting to follow his U23 career since he was 16, and I have talked to plenty of coaches, staff, and other writers in that time. One thing everyone will tell you about Łyszczarczyk is that he is an amazing person. He likes to keep things lose and is always smiling. On top of that, no one works harder than him. That hard work has taken him from Poland to Czechia to Canada for junior hockey and now professional hockey in Czechia and the United States. He makes progress every single season, and with his work ethic, the sky is the limit.
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Despite all that seems to go wrong in Polish hockey the light at the end of the tunnel has been the amount of great young talent that Poland has in their system right now. This is the deepest depth of young talent Poland has had this century. Regardless of what happens in regards to management and coaching with the talent that Poland has coming, they should be able to push forward. In this list, I wanted to rank Poland’s young talent to create a better picture of what the future look likes. In this part, we look at the player ranked second.
Rank – Player Name (Position), Age During Next Hockey Season, Team
1 – Alan Lyszczarczyk (C), 21, Mississauga Steelheads – Was there ever going to be any doubt about who the number one player was? Lyszczarczyk maybe the top player in Polish hockey regardless of U23 status. There is simply no player that caries the hype or status that Lyszczarczyk brings. He is the king of Polish hockey right now, and his success could have a tremendous impact on hockey in Poland.
Lyszczarczyk was born in Wellington, New Jersey. His dad Darius Lyszczarczyk was a long-time Polish National team player and forward for Podhale Nowy Targ. Lyszczarczyk returned to Poland though where he played in the Podhale Nowy Targ junior system. Impressive performances in Poland led to him getting to play in the Czech Republic for the junior team of Pirati Chomutov. In his first season in the Czech Republic at 14, he recorded 36 goals and 42 assists for 78 points in 40 games at the U16 level. The next year he continued his strong production with 66 points in 32 games at the U16 level, plus 30 points in 21 games at the U18 level. 2014-15 was his huge breakout year though as he led the Czech U18 league, as a 16-year-old, in points with 69 in 40 games.
This had Lyszczarczyk generating some buzz for the 2015 Canadian Hockey League Import Draft. Lysczarczyk would not be drafted though, he would sign with the Sudbury Wolves in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) as a free agent. “Alan was a kid whose name came up on a pretty frequent basis from some pretty reputable hockey guys, so he was garnering some interest at that time. I know Sudbury, as well, was a team that was interested in him. But then, as the league did some homework on their own, they discovered that Alan, because his parents are living in the United States, that was their place of residence and it had been for a few years, he was not eligible for the import draft. That opened the door for him to be a free agent and paved the way for us bringing him to training camp,” Barclay Branch, then Sudbury Wolves General Manager, said in an interview to The Sudbury Star.
Lysczarzcyk had quite the debut season in the OHL. He recorded 17 goals and 33 assists in 50 points in 67 games. We reached out to Sudbury Wolves writer Ben Leeson and asked him about Lyszczarczyk’s first year, “Lyszczarczyk kind of came out of nowhere in his first season with the Wolves. No one had heard much about him when he arrived at training camp, but of course, a quick glance at Elite Prospects suggested there was plenty of skill there. And he showed that skill, more and more as the year went on, eventually becoming a top-line forward later in the season. While there were things to work on, such as his skating and shot release, he had very good offensive instincts, was an effective passer and was quite strong on the puck, despite not being the biggest player, and had a non-stop motor. He was also very coachable — I remember Sudbury’s staff at the time saying he was never a guy you had to worry about, a guy who just went out and did his job without complaining. He kept things light in the room, too, always smiling, making jokes, funny faces and sounds, leading his teammates to affectionately call him Cartoon.”
Lyszczarczyk was generating some NHL draft interest. He was projected to be drafted anywhere from the 4th round to the 7th round.
Another good sign that Lyszczarczyk would be drafted was the fact that 84.3% of players with similar production had been drafted. TheDraftAnanlyst.com wrote, “He can play in the trenches and shows interest in fighting tooth and nail for loose pucks, but building upper-body strength and learning the intricacies of three-zone play will make him tougher to deal with beyond the puck artistry and hard shot. Lyszczarczyk is at this point a one-dimensional point producer who can be entrusted with power play duties but nothing during penalty kills and late-game lead holds.” In the end, his name was not called at the NHL entry draft.
“I wasn’t sure if Alan would be drafted in his first year of eligibility, though I certainly wouldn’t have been surprised if he did, after such a strong season and a fairly smooth adjustment to North American hockey. I just wasn’t certain he had the kind of speed and skating ability NHL teams had begun to look for, and his shot was still a work in progress — he has since come a long way in that area, I should say, so perhaps a team should have taken a chance on him. I did believe he would earn himself opportunities at a professional career, whether in North America or Europe and could see him opening a lot of doors with his worth ethic.” Ben Leeson on if he expected Lysczarzcyk would be drafted. Lyszczarczyk would be invited to the Maple Leafs development camp following the draft.
Some things needed to improve in Lyszczarczyk’s game, but he still had a lot going for him. I mean it was only his first year in North America, the Wolves had some really nice talents in Dmitri Sokolov and David Levin, and Lyszczarczyk continued to get better and better as the year went on. His second season did not go well at all though. His production dropped to 10 goals and 22 assists in 61 games. The Wolves were a better team, ice time was harder to come by, and Lyszczarczyk struggled with consistency. “Despite the dip in Lyszczarczyk’s numbers, he still scored some big goals, made some great plays and rounded out his game in some other areas, but he definitely had a few dry spells, and I think it led him to grip the stick a little too tight, as they say. He also had to share the ice a little more with older players as the team tried to make a push for playoffs. I was always sure that he’d find his touch again, though, possibly as a 19-year-old.” Ben Leeson told us about Lyszczarczyk’s 2016-17 season.
In the offseason, the Wolves would trade Lyszczarczyk and goaltender Zach Bowman to the Owen Sound Attack for a handful of draft picks. Owen Sound was going to be a fresh start for Lyszczarczyk. The team was loaded on forward talent, where while Lyszczarczyk maybe wouldn’t get the most ice time he would be surrounded by top talents like NHL draft picks Aidan Dudas, Jonah Gadjovich, Maxim Sushko, and Nick Suzuki. Lyszczarczyk had an improved season posting 21 goals and 20 assists in 59 games. He really had a great postseason posting 8 goals and 5 assists in 11 games. His production was better, but still just below his rookie year. You could definitely see his improved shot.
For 2018-19 this was Lyszczarczyk’s overage year and final OHL season. It didn’t look like he would return to Owen Sound at first after trying out for HC Energie Karlovy Vary of the Tipsport Extraliga. He ended up deciding to stay in the OHL for his overage season. Owen Sound still had a strong roster, but a couple top 6 spots had opened up meaning more ice time. Owen Sound was over the overager limit. This would mean that one of the overage players would have to sit out. Lyszczarczyk made the most of this situation at first recording 4 goals and 7 assists in 10 games despite numerous healthy scratches. The situation was fixed though when Lyszczarczyk was dealt to the Mississauga Steelheads.
The trade to the Steelheads can easily be called the best thing to happen in Lyszczarczyk’s OHL career. He caught fire with the team being able to play a lot of ice time with top players. Lyszczarczyk put up new career highs for every statistical category. His season totals were 39 goals and 43 assists in 64 games. He had 2 goals and 2 assist in 4 playoff games as well. He was truly for the first chance, given the chance to be one of the top stars on a team and flourished in the role. Even after the team traded away high NHL draft picks Owen Tippett and Ryan Mcleod, Lyszczarczyk continued to produce at a high rate.
His season point total of 82 was tied for 18th in the OHL. His goals were 13th in the league. He also had the 4th most shots in the league at 305. Yes, he was an overager in the OHL, but all his stats ranked within the top 10 for overagers.
His play has come a long way since his rookie days notably the vast improvement of his shot and development to his defensive game. Last year, he was even able to get some time on the penalty kill. His game has become more complete and rounded. He may be the best offensive talent Poland has had since Mariusz Czerkawski. He is willing to go into the corners and will never quit. There is still work to be done at on defensive game, but it is good enough for the next level. What is the next level is the big question for him? His point per game comparables most likely play at least 100 games in the ECHL or a lower European league like the Tipsport Liga. Though a decent amount go on to play 100 games in the American Hockey League or a top European league like the Kontinental Hockey League. None have gone on to play 100 games in the NHL yet.
Of 47 matches, 9 were Retired/Semi-Pro/Lowest Tier Europe/College.
It seems that comparables were right in this case as Lyszczarczyk signed an ECHL deal with the Fort Wayne Komets. He was also invited to the Chicago Wolves (AHL) training camp. I could see Lyszczarczyk earning a contract with Wolves out of training camp, but still most likely spending most of his time to start the year in the ECHL. This is mostly because of his playstyle. He needs to play the most minutes he can, and he probably won’t get that in the AHL. He needs to adjust and learn how to produce offensively against men. That development is going to come a lot easier in the ECHL.
Since Fort Wayne entered the ECHL for the 2012-13 season, they have only had fours rookie forwards. Those four forwards all posted point per game marks above .60 for their ECHL career. Three of the four also made it to the AHL pretty quickly, while the other lead the Elite Ice Hockey Leauge in assists for the 2017-18 season. It seems that when Fort Wayne signs a young forward they expect them to produce strong numbers and put them in a position to succeed. It will be the first time a Polish player has played in the ECHL since Adam Borzecki in 2005. I think signing in the ECHL is the perfect place for Lyszczarczyk to continue his career.
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