WC: 2023 IIHF World Championship Division I

ozo

Registered User
Feb 24, 2010
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Belarus and Russia ban on paper made this edition of 1A boring, but kinda cool to see promotion being decided in last 20 minutes of the tournament.
 

GermanSpitfire

EU Video Scout for McKeen’s
Jul 20, 2020
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21,978
www.mckeenshockey.com
Congratulations... I am 48 and have been watching the Worlds since TSN started airing it so we are talking early 90's... I did not think that when Poland were relegated that it would take this long to return but perhaps I just didn't see the decline that was already underway. As it is, they need to still put more into the game there... ole Johnny Murray isn't going to last forever,

Who was the last drafted Polish player? Was it Marcin Kolusz?

You could see Krzysztof Macias taken in the later rounds of this years draft….

 
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member 305909

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Poland used to be in the 8 team elite division in the 80d. They have gone down since. The breakup of the Soviet Union is a factor but doesn't fully explain the decline.

Hopefully they can stay up.
 
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PanniniClaus

Registered User
Oct 12, 2006
8,655
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Nice look off from Neilson... Italy looked a bit like the Leafs on the first goal against last night... Should be out of trouble... but no, goal against.
 

SoundAndFury

Registered User
May 28, 2012
11,373
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Poland used to be in the 8 team elite division in the 80d. They have gone down since. The breakup of the Soviet Union is a factor but doesn't fully explain the decline.
As with many post-Soviet countries, they were left standing still while other countries - namely Norway, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland, etc. - got much better.
 

aquaregia

Registered User
May 23, 2022
123
49
Lancashire
We're genuinely so much better than them technically but still only one goal in it.
Sad to see O'Connor a shadow of his old self really, been a bit of a liability on D including for the 2-2 goal.
 

BMann

Registered User
May 18, 2006
1,946
502
Watford
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.
 

awegrzyn

Registered User
Jun 17, 2014
374
442
poland hockey has improved? they just came up a division and in 1st place in division 1a now?

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.
 

Albatros

Registered User
Aug 19, 2017
12,489
7,943
Ostsee
Hum. We have an all-Polish Champions League final in volleyball this year. It's surely true that reforms came with complications in every sport, but it has not hindered development overall.
 
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Old Man Jags

Registered User
Mar 25, 2006
517
412
Very happy about the two countries that advanced. Italy has offered absolutely nothing at all at top level in recent years while GB have been entertaining and I am pleased they are back. And the Poles are our neighbours so I am happy to welcome them back.
 

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