Polish national ice hockey team
Encyclopedia
The Poland national men's ice hockey team is the national ice hockey
team of Poland
, and a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation
. They are ranked 21st in the world in the IIHF World Ranking
s, but prior to the 1980s they were ranked as high as 6th internationally. They are one of only 8 countries never to have played below the Division I (former B Pool) level.
Financed by state coal money from the 1950s to the 1970 the Polish hockey team was a regular contender for medals in international tournaments, vastly superior to the Finns and upsetting the Swedes and Czechs from time to time. In 1976 Poland beat the dominant Soviet Union
6-4 in the World Championships after being soundly defeated by the same team 16-1 in the Winter Olympics. It was only the second time in 13 years that the Soviet Union had not won the gold.
In the olympics earlier that year, Poland
played 5 matches in the top division, but lost all of them. In the first game, the team managed four goals on the West Germany but it was not enough as they lost 7-4. Four days later, after being destroyed by the Soviet Union, the Poles took on Czechoslovakia who dominated the whole game throughout and won 7-1, but after the drug testing, the officials found that one of the Czech players tested positive for doping and they awarded Poland with a 1-0 victory, although they didn't receive any points in the standings. With only two games left and no points in the standings, Poland had no shot at a medal, but still played the last two games against the USA and Finland
, and lost 7-2 and 7-1 respectively.
Poland managed to clean up a bit over four years and played well during the 1980 Olympics and finished seventh out of twelve teams. They managed to pull off a huge upset in their first game by beating Finland
5-4, who would eventually advance to the medal round. In their next game, they played Canada
and hoped to complete an even bigger upset. The Canadians didn't let this happen and beat the Poles 5-1. In the third game, Poland
took on the five time Gold Medalists, The Soviet Union
. The players knew that this would be a challenge because they had played the Soviets many times before and had lost by usually very lopsided scores, such as 8-3, 9-3, 16-1, and 20-0. The Polish team, however, had also beaten the Soviets once in the 1976 World Championship and some of the players from that game were still on the team. The team tried to keep the Russians down, but it was too much and the USSR stormed to an 8-1 win. With their toughest games out of the way, Poland would have one more chance to try and get to the Medal Round. They took on Holland and went down early in the first period but managed to tie it about four minutes later. The Dutch team scored twice more in the period to lead 3-1. Polish hero Wieslaw Jobczyk (who scored a hat trick in the 1976 upset against USSR) scored to put Poland within one goal but Holland stormed back to get two more goals before the third period to make it 5-2. The Polish ended up losing 5-3 and saw their hopes of the Medal round come to an end. They had one more game against Japan
, who had not won any games in the tournament and only tied once. Poland
burst out in the first period and scored 3 goals before twenty minutes had ended. They scored two more goals and Japan
seemed out of it. The final score was 5-1 for Poland
. The team's final record was 2-3-0 and received 4 points in the standings.
By the early 1980s, though, the Polish economy went into the tail spin and the money for the hockey programs vanished. Despite this Poland has managed to produce some NHL caliber talent including Mariusz Czerkawski
with the New York Islanders
, Peter Sidorkiewicz
for both the Hartford Whalers
and the Ottawa Senators
, and Krzysztof Oliwa
for the New Jersey Devils
where he won a Stanley Cup
in 1999-2000.
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
team of Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, and a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation
International Ice Hockey Federation
The International Ice Hockey Federation is the worldwide governing body for ice hockey and in-line hockey. It is based in Zurich, Switzerland, and has 70 members...
. They are ranked 21st in the world in the IIHF World Ranking
IIHF World Ranking
The IIHF World Ranking is a ranking of the national teams of member countries of the International Ice Hockey Federation.The system was approved by the IIHF congress in September 2003...
s, but prior to the 1980s they were ranked as high as 6th internationally. They are one of only 8 countries never to have played below the Division I (former B Pool) level.
Financed by state coal money from the 1950s to the 1970 the Polish hockey team was a regular contender for medals in international tournaments, vastly superior to the Finns and upsetting the Swedes and Czechs from time to time. In 1976 Poland beat the dominant Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
6-4 in the World Championships after being soundly defeated by the same team 16-1 in the Winter Olympics. It was only the second time in 13 years that the Soviet Union had not won the gold.
In the olympics earlier that year, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
played 5 matches in the top division, but lost all of them. In the first game, the team managed four goals on the West Germany but it was not enough as they lost 7-4. Four days later, after being destroyed by the Soviet Union, the Poles took on Czechoslovakia who dominated the whole game throughout and won 7-1, but after the drug testing, the officials found that one of the Czech players tested positive for doping and they awarded Poland with a 1-0 victory, although they didn't receive any points in the standings. With only two games left and no points in the standings, Poland had no shot at a medal, but still played the last two games against the USA and Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, and lost 7-2 and 7-1 respectively.
Poland managed to clean up a bit over four years and played well during the 1980 Olympics and finished seventh out of twelve teams. They managed to pull off a huge upset in their first game by beating Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
5-4, who would eventually advance to the medal round. In their next game, they played Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and hoped to complete an even bigger upset. The Canadians didn't let this happen and beat the Poles 5-1. In the third game, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
took on the five time Gold Medalists, The Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. The players knew that this would be a challenge because they had played the Soviets many times before and had lost by usually very lopsided scores, such as 8-3, 9-3, 16-1, and 20-0. The Polish team, however, had also beaten the Soviets once in the 1976 World Championship and some of the players from that game were still on the team. The team tried to keep the Russians down, but it was too much and the USSR stormed to an 8-1 win. With their toughest games out of the way, Poland would have one more chance to try and get to the Medal Round. They took on Holland and went down early in the first period but managed to tie it about four minutes later. The Dutch team scored twice more in the period to lead 3-1. Polish hero Wieslaw Jobczyk (who scored a hat trick in the 1976 upset against USSR) scored to put Poland within one goal but Holland stormed back to get two more goals before the third period to make it 5-2. The Polish ended up losing 5-3 and saw their hopes of the Medal round come to an end. They had one more game against Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, who had not won any games in the tournament and only tied once. Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
burst out in the first period and scored 3 goals before twenty minutes had ended. They scored two more goals and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
seemed out of it. The final score was 5-1 for Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. The team's final record was 2-3-0 and received 4 points in the standings.
By the early 1980s, though, the Polish economy went into the tail spin and the money for the hockey programs vanished. Despite this Poland has managed to produce some NHL caliber talent including Mariusz Czerkawski
Mariusz Czerkawski
Mariusz Czerkawski is a retired Polish ice hockey player. He played for the Boston Bruins, Edmonton Oilers, New York Islanders, Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs in the National Hockey League . In addition to playing in the NHL, Czerkawski played for several different European-based teams...
with the New York Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
, Peter Sidorkiewicz
Peter Sidorkiewicz
Peter Paul Sidorkiewicz is a former Canadian professional goaltender who played in the National Hockey League for the Hartford Whalers, the Ottawa Senators and the New Jersey Devils....
for both the Hartford Whalers
Hartford Whalers
The Hartford Whalers were a professional ice hockey team based for most of its existence in Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.A.. The club played in the World Hockey Association from 1972–79 and in the National Hockey League from 1979–97...
and the Ottawa Senators
Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
, and Krzysztof Oliwa
Krzysztof Oliwa
Krzysztof Artur Oliwa is a Polish former professional ice hockey player. He played as a left winger in the National Hockey League.-Playing career:...
for the New Jersey Devils
New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
where he won a Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
in 1999-2000.
2010 World Championship team
| Pos. | No. | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| GK | 1 | Krzysztof Zborowski |  Podhale Nowy TargPodhale Nowy Targ Podhale Nowy Targ is a Polish ice hockey club based in Nowy Targ, Poland.- Home ice :*Name: Miejska Hala Lodowa w Nowym Targu*Address: ul... |
| GK | 29 | Kamil Kosowski | JKH Czarne Jastrzębie |
| D | 2 | Pawel Skrzypkowski | Stoczniowiec Gdańsk Stoczniowiec Gdańsk Stoczniowiec Gdańsk is an ice hockey team in Gdańsk, Poland. They play in the Polska Liga Hokejowa, the top level Polish ice hockey league.The club was founded in 1953 as Polonia Gdańsk, they were renamed Stoczniowiec Gdańsk in 1970.... |
| D | 4 | Patryk Wajda | Cracovia Krakow |
| D | 6 | Rafal Dutka | Podhale Nowy Targ Podhale Nowy Targ Podhale Nowy Targ is a Polish ice hockey club based in Nowy Targ, Poland.- Home ice :*Name: Miejska Hala Lodowa w Nowym Targu*Address: ul... |
| D | 9 | Michal Kotlorz | GKS Tychy GKS Tychy (ice hockey) The GKS Tychy is a Polish ice hockey club from Tychy which plays at the moment in the Ekstraklasa and therefore the highest professional class of the country.The club was founded in 1971... |
| D | 13 | Marian Csorich | Cracovia Krakow |
| D | 17 | Patryk Noworyta Patryk Noworyta Patryk Noworyta is a Polish ice hockey player. He plays for ComArch Cracovia Kraków ice hockey team wearing #55.Patryk has also been playing on and off with the Team Poland men's ice hockey team... |
Cracovia Krakow |
| D | 22 | Jaroslaw Klys | Cracovia Krakow |
| D | 28 | Mateusz Rompkowski | GKS Stoczniowiec Gdansk |
| F | 3 | Adam Baginski | GKS Tychy GKS Tychy (ice hockey) The GKS Tychy is a Polish ice hockey club from Tychy which plays at the moment in the Ekstraklasa and therefore the highest professional class of the country.The club was founded in 1971... |
| F | 7 | Jaroslaw Rozanski | Zagłębie Sosnowiec KH Zagłębie Sosnowiec KH Zagłębie Sosnowiec is an ice hockey team from Sosnowiec, Poland. They play in the Polska Liga Hokejowa, the top-level league in Poland.Sosnowiec was founded in 1937. They won five PLH titles in six years from 1980–1985, and one Polish 1. Liga title in 2005.... |
| F | 10 | Piotr Sarnik | Zagłębie Sosnowiec KH Zagłębie Sosnowiec KH Zagłębie Sosnowiec is an ice hockey team from Sosnowiec, Poland. They play in the Polska Liga Hokejowa, the top-level league in Poland.Sosnowiec was founded in 1937. They won five PLH titles in six years from 1980–1985, and one Polish 1. Liga title in 2005.... |
| F | 14 | Jaroslaw Rzeszutko | GKS Stoczniowiec Gdansk |
| F | 15 | Leszek Laszkiewicz | Cracovia Krakow |
| F | 16 | Tomasz Malasinski | Podhale Nowy Targ Podhale Nowy Targ Podhale Nowy Targ is a Polish ice hockey club based in Nowy Targ, Poland.- Home ice :*Name: Miejska Hala Lodowa w Nowym Targu*Address: ul... |
| F | 18 | Grzegorz Pasiut | Cracovia Krakow |
| F | 19 | Krystian Dzubinski | Podhale Nowy Targ Podhale Nowy Targ Podhale Nowy Targ is a Polish ice hockey club based in Nowy Targ, Poland.- Home ice :*Name: Miejska Hala Lodowa w Nowym Targu*Address: ul... |
| F | 24 | Mateusz Danieluk | JKH Czarne Jastrzębie |
| F | 25 | Mikolaj Lopuski | Cracovia Krakow |
| F | 26 | Marcin Kolusz | Podhale Nowy Targ Podhale Nowy Targ Podhale Nowy Targ is a Polish ice hockey club based in Nowy Targ, Poland.- Home ice :*Name: Miejska Hala Lodowa w Nowym Targu*Address: ul... |
| F | 27 | Tomasz Proszkiewicz | GKS Tychy GKS Tychy (ice hockey) The GKS Tychy is a Polish ice hockey club from Tychy which plays at the moment in the Ekstraklasa and therefore the highest professional class of the country.The club was founded in 1971... |
- Head coach: Wiktor Pysz
Olympic Record
- 1920-1924 - Did not participate
- 1928 - 10th place
- 1932 - 4th place
- 1936 - Tied for 9th place
- 1948 - 7th place
- 1952 - 6th place
- 1956 - 8th place
- 1960 - Did not participate
- 1964 - 9th place
- 1968 - Did not participate
- 1972 - 6th place
- 1976 - 6th place
- 1980 - 7th place
- 1984 - 8th place
- 1988 - 10th place
- 1992 - 11th place
- 1994 - Did not qualify
- 1998 - Did not qualify
- 2002 - Did not qualify
- 2006 - Did not qualify
- 2010 - Did not qualify
World Championship Record
- 1930 - 5th place
- 1931 - 4th place
- 1933 - Tied for 7th place
- 1934 - Did not play
- 1935 - 10th place
- 1937 - 8th place
- 1938 - Tied for 7th place
- 1939 - 6th place
- 1947 - 6th place
- 1949-1954 - Did not play
- 1955 - 7th place
- 1957 - 6th place
- 1958 - 8th place
- 1959 - 11th place
- 1961 - 13th place (5th in Pool B)
- 1962 - Did not play
- 1963 - 12th place (4th in Pool B)
- 1964 - 9th place (1st in Pool B)
- 1965 - 9th place (1st in Pool B)
- 1966 - 8th place
- 1967 - 9th place (1st in Pool B)
- 1969 - 8th place (2nd in Pool B)
- 1970 - 6th place
- 1971 - 8th place (2nd in Pool B)
- 1972 - 7th place (1st in Pool B)
- 1973 - 5th place
- 1974 - 5th place
- 1975 - 5th place
- 1976 - 7th place
- 1977 - 10th place (2nd in Pool B)
- 1978 - 9th place (1st in Pool B)
- 1979 - 8th place
- 1981 - 10th place (2nd in Pool B)
- 1982 - 11th place (3rd in Pool B)
- 1983 - 10th place (2nd in Pool B)
- 1985 - 9th place (1st in Pool B)
- 1986 - 8th place
- 1987 - 9th place (1st in Pool B)
- 1989 - 8th place
- 1990 - 14th place (6th in Pool B)
- 1991 - 12th place (4th in Pool B)
- 1992 - 12th place
- 1993 - 14th place (2nd in Pool B)
- 1994 - 15th place (3rd in Pool B)
- 1995 - 15th place (3rd in Pool B)
- 1996 - 17th place (5th in Pool B)
- 1997 - 17th place (5th in Pool B)
- 1998 - 23rd place (7th in Pool B)
- 1999 - 23rd place (7th in Pool B)
- 2000 - 20th place (4th in Pool B)
- 2001 - 19th place (1st in Division I, Group A)
- 2002 - 14th place
- 2003 - 19th place (2nd in Division I, Group A)
- 2004 - 21st place (3rd in Division I, Group B)
- 2005 - 19th place (2nd in Division I, Group A)
- 2006 - 21st place (3rd in Division I, Group B)
- 2007 - 20th place (2nd in Division I, Group A)
- 2008 - 22nd place (3rd in Division I, Group A)
- 2009 - 23nd place (4rd in Division I, Group B)
- 2010 - 22nd place (3rd in Division I, Group B)
European Championships
- 1910-1925 - Did not participate
- 1926 - 7th place
- 1927 - 4th place
- 1929 - Won silver medal
- 1932 - Did not participate