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WC: 2023 IIHF World Championship Division I

BMann

BMann

Registered User
May 18, 2006
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awegrzyn said:
No. You can't improve having 10 ice rinks. Poland has less ice rinks than my New Jersey. I have been watching them since late 80's. During communism countries showed off on international stage through sports. Back then money was going to hockey from government. Once Poland became a commercialized country in 1989 every team sport went to shit. Only single athletes are great that train somewhere in huts, or excersise cheap sports.

Back then sport was not on this level that you see right now. Right now kids on YouTube have more hockey talent then all hockey players in 80's and 90's. It was much easier to compete. Not to mention back then it was best of 8, now it's best of 16. Poland will never ever crack top 8. It's a lost sport in Poland. They don't even have an idea how to build it. They would have to live in US or Canada for 20 years to actually understand it. Besides, they are not a Nordic country. Lost cause. Promotion to top 16 meaningless for hockey in Poland despite what all of them want you to believe.

They peaked in Calgary in 88.
Click to expand...

A lot of the old sides in Warsaw disappeared and some older clubs. Attached to the military in some cases.

Of course ice hockey can be developed there. And away from it's traditional heartland in the very far south of Poland. It just needs as with other countries in the development stage more facilities and more access for kids. Then proceed to improve the standard of junior coaching and talent identification and send the best kids abroad. I understand where you're coming from but things can change.

Denmark are one of the best examples. For sure basketball, handball, association football and volleyball are the most popular team sports in Poland but that's not to say people there can't get behind hockey and improve with a logical long term plan. Following the development of rugby union in tier 2 and 3 nations even Poland Rugby have a better idea of how to develop the sport and juniors than their ice hockey counterparts.

The organization itself needs a thorough shake up and understanding of what it needs to do as the guardians of the sport in Poland. Unlike some sports though improvement in standards in ice hockey takes slightly longer.
 
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Albatros

Albatros

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Aug 19, 2017
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BMann said:
A lot of the old sides in Warsaw disappeared and some older clubs. Attached to the military in some cases.
Click to expand...
Regarding that, it might be worth noting that Legia was moved from Warsaw to Krynica (a resort town in the mountains) already in the early 1980s and was only reactivated in the 2000s for a while. In other words there was no hockey in Warsaw even in the 1980s (there was a second-tier team in nearby Pruszków).
 
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I'm surprised to hear about the bad state of Polish hockey. After all, Poland is a traditional winter sports country and hockey is a winter-sport.

Well, so are Austria and Norway winter sports countries but they aren't work class hockey countries even though they are in the elite division.
 
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karhukissa

karhukissa

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Apr 2, 2019
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VLK said:
I'm surprised to hear about the bad state of Polish hockey. After all, Poland is a traditional winter sports country and hockey is a winter-sport.

Well, so are Austria and Norway winter sports countries but they aren't work class hockey countries even though they are in the elite division.
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It's about the money, Poland is a big country but not very rich. There's also quite limited amount of big companies and many of those are supporting sports like volleyball, handball and football. Then of course other winter sports like ski jumping.

When there's no money, there's no proper coaching. Slovakia is also a fairly poor country, but they have long hockey tradition and they don't have to buy that knowledge.
 
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jcbio11

jcbio11

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Aug 17, 2008
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Bratislava
Wow this thread is full of Debbie Downers.

I myself welcome our Polish bros to the elite division. So happy with Poland up. Hope they manage stay up for some time. Looking forward to that High Tatras match up 🇵🇱 🇸🇰 .
 
jcbio11

jcbio11

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Aug 17, 2008
2,870
563
Bratislava
BMann said:
Well done lads. Thanks to a great servant Jonathan Phillips. Shame more people would not have seen this. The potential for the sport in GB is great as is the potential for developing better and better players.

So much work to be done. It's amazing we're at this level given the mismanagement of the sport from all the bodies involved.
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Loved your fans in Kosice, Slovakia back in 2019. And that game vs France was unreal. That end was beautiful. Happy to see you guys up again.

GB absolutely has huge potential for growth.
 
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Boonk

Boonk

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Oct 10, 2017
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It’s awesome to see a nation like Poland make the jump to the top division for the first time in a long time. I don’t even think I’ve ever been alive to see Poland play at the top World Championship or Olympic levels. This is what hockey is all about. Well done to them and GB :hockey:

Edit: Yes I was, I was turning 4 in 2002. First time in 2 decades, wow!
 
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legionista

legionista

Registered User
Jan 17, 2013
176
146
Maryland/Brooklyn
awegrzyn said:
No. You can't improve having 10 ice rinks. Poland has less ice rinks than my New Jersey. I have been watching them since late 80's. During communism countries showed off on international stage through sports. Back then money was going to hockey from government. Once Poland became a commercialized country in 1989 every team sport went to shit. Only single athletes are great that train somewhere in huts, or excersise cheap sports.

Back then sport was not on this level that you see right now. Right now kids on YouTube have more hockey talent then all hockey players in 80's and 90's. It was much easier to compete. Not to mention back then it was best of 8, now it's best of 16. Poland will never ever crack top 8. It's a lost sport in Poland. They don't even have an idea how to build it. They would have to live in US or Canada for 20 years to actually understand it. Besides, they are not a Nordic country. Lost cause. Promotion to top 16 meaningless for hockey in Poland despite what all of them want you to believe.

They peaked in Calgary in 88.
Click to expand...
There are certain "fad" sports in Poland, both individual and team sports that catch on after some success. Team handball, tennis, and ski jumping come to mind. While I agree this success won't create some long lasting national movement towards hockey like ski jumping did, it will bring more attention to the sport and hopefully attract more young people to play it.
 
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Eye of Ra

Eye of Ra

Grandmaster General of the International boards
Nov 15, 2008
19,254
5,471
Malmö, Sweden
Slovenia and Hungary is back for next year, as expected.

Japan
Hungary
Slovenia
Italy
South Korea
Romania

I think Japan could suprise and move up. Romania should be relegeted.
 
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