Poland

Poland is a country in Central Europe. Warsaw is the capital and largest city.

History of hockey in Poland
Ice hockey games were first played in Poland in 1922. In 1925, four clubs based out of Warsaw founded the Polish Ice Hockey Federation, and the country joined the IIHF a year later, on January 11, 1926.

The national championship was first contested in 1927, and was won by AZS Warszawa, which won the first five Polish champions. Podhale Nowy Targ has won the most Polish championships, with 19. The Polska Liga Hokejowa was formed in 1956. The Polish 1. Liga operates as the second level of ice hockey in the country. The Polish Cup was contested in 1970 and 1971, and has been held annually since 2000.

The men's national team made its international debut playing in the European Championships in 1926. They also participated in the European Championships in 1927 and 1929, winning a silver medal at the 1929 tournament. They first participated in the World Championships in 1930, finishing in fifth place. Their best ever finish at the World Championships was fourth a year later. Poland has participated at the Olympics 12 times, and their best finish was fourth in 1932.

The women's national team first appeared on the international scene in 2011, playing in Division V of the Women's World Championships. They won all four of their games to win the tournament. They participated in Division IIB in 2012, finishing first and earning a promotion to Division IIA for 2013.

The junior national team first participated in the World Junior Championships in 1977, finishing in eighth and last place in Pool A. Their best finish was fifth in Pool A in 1987.