The first Polish Championship! This is what it looked like. Curiosities and records

The first Polish ice hockey champion was crowned in the 1926/27 season, but efforts had been made to hold a national championship the year before. Despite the best intentions, the tournament was never completed. What do we know about that championship? From the February 10, 1926 issue of "Przegląd Sportowy," we learn that:

The final tournament of the 1926 Polish Championship was to feature three teams: the champions of Warsaw, AZS, the undisputed best team in the country at the time and the core of the national team, as well as the champions of Greater Poland, TKS Toruń, and the future champions of Lviv. Lechia, according to the weekly "Stadjon," was declared the winner, defeating AZS 1-0 in the final.

But the same "Stadjon" wrote a week earlier that Pogoń had qualified for the Lviv championship final, having defeated... Lechia 4-1, and in the decisive match they were to face the winner of the Czarni-Hasmonea match, also known in the press as Dror! We find the result of that match: 3-2 for Czarni, as well as the result of the next match, in which Lechia drew with Hasmonea 3-3.

She gained crowds of fans

So what was it like? It's impossible to determine all the results, though. Firstly, press reports don't always clearly state whether a match was a championship match or not. What is certain, however, and worth noting, is that in Lviv alone, hockey was played by as many as five clubs: AZS, Pogoń, Czarni, Hasmonea, and Lechia.

We come across in the press from the beginning of January 1926, because we are still in that year, also the information that:

In addition to the impressively large Lviv national team, games were also played in Warsaw. Besides AZS, Polonia, Warszawianka, and WTŁ also competed. We know the results of several matches that could be considered championship-caliber. The academics dominated. In Poznań, on the other hand, we had the Poznań Ice Skating Association, also known as the Poznań Ice Skating Club or Poznań Ice Skating Club, which faced TKS Toruń (the Pomeranian champions) for the Wielkopolska championship and lost in a two-legged tie. The Toruń team's presence in the final, which never took place, was also undeniable.

The thaw came. In Krakow, Makkabi faced Jutrzenka and won 1-0. Both clubs were owned by the Jewish community. They, in turn, faced Cracovia, which defeated Jutrzenka 3-0. What about the other results? It's unknown, but either the Krakow championship campaign wasn't completed, or the champions didn't express any interest in participating in the final tournament in Zakopane. Both outcomes are possible, but it's difficult to determine beyond a shadow of a doubt which of them prevailed.

It can be assumed that all of the above-mentioned clubs participated in some capacity in the first, unfinished Polish Championship. The final ultimately fell through for two reasons. The most important was the interest of the Polish national team, composed primarily of AZS players. It's worth noting that the first weeks of 1926 were a special time for our national team, as it was then that the team was formed.

She played at the European Championships in Switzerland, and AZS also participated in the Nordic Games in Sweden. It all took time. Just as the first Polish champion was about to be crowned in February, a thaw came, ultimately leading to the cancellation of the Zakopane competition.

They waited a year

The weather was also too warm at the end of 1926, a year later, when Lviv hosted the local A-Class competition, the qualifying rounds for the Polish Championship. It must be admitted that it was the Lviv clubs that best organized the regional championships, which were to determine the finalists, scheduled again for Zakopane. When the frost hit, Pogoń emerged victorious, winning all five matches with a goal difference of 44:1, with Wacław Kuchar, among others, shining on the ice. An outstanding and exceptionally versatile athlete, he achieved success in football, hockey, track and field, and speed skating.

The field of participants in the first Polish Championship finals was completed by AZS and WTŁ from Warsaw, as well as TKS Toruń, Poznań Skating Club, and Cracovia. Now we can confidently say that these are the six clubs, our homegrown "original six," that have been allowed to compete in the first Polish Championships. The weekly "Stadjon" explained how this was accomplished and presented the planned tournament regulations.

The champions of the following districts advanced to the finals: Warsaw (AZS), Toruń (TKS), Poznań (PKL), Lviv (Pogoń), and Kraków (Cracovia). The team from the capital city was guaranteed a spot in the final group, and were to be joined by the better teams from the Kraków-Lviv and Poznań-Toruń pairs. The fourth team was to be selected by the PZHL board. However, organizational problems and unfavorable weather meant that the champions of all five districts, as well as – by the association's decision – the Warsaw district runner-up, WTŁ, were ultimately allowed to participate in the final tournament.

Second only to football

The event was scheduled for February 12th and 13th, with the previous schedule belonging to the national team and AZS Warsaw, which was touring Europe. The national team participated in the European Championships in Austria, while AZS played in cities such as Chamonix, France, and Davos, Switzerland. What was happening in Poland? While waiting for the return of the best players and the Polish Championship finals, matches were played, including intercity matches.

Finally, in February, but on February 21st and 22nd, rather than the 12th and 13th as previously planned, the first Polish Championships were held in Zakopane. It should be emphasized that ice hockey was the second team sport in which medalists were selected at the national championship. The first, of course, was football, as the first championships were held in 1921.

Later, there was hockey, and in 1927, we saw the first Polish champions in field hockey and water polo. From 1928, Polish Basketball Championships were held, and a year later, volleyball players competed for the title for the first time. Handball players first entered the competition in 1930.

The people of Toruń did not arrive

Five teams arrived in Zakopane on Sunday, February 20th. The team from Toruń was missing due to transportation issues. The hockey players from the city of Copernicus only arrived in Zakopane on Monday evening, after the tournament had already begun, and disqualified themselves. Ultimately, five teams participated, and the match, which should be considered the first, historic match in the Polish Championship tournament, began on Monday, February 21st, after 9:00 a.m.

The teams of the Warsaw Ice Skating Society and the Poznań Ice Skating Club faced each other. There was no surprise; the team from the capital city – tipped for a medal – won comfortably, 4-0. Correspondents agreed; the tournament was covered for "Przegląd Sportowy" by the well-known Aleksander Tupalski, who not only wrote the report but also played and refereed during the competition, with the Warsaw team clearly superior. For the record, the goals in this epochal match were scored by Kamiński, Pastecki, Rybak, and Szejnach.

AZS Warszawa was a class of its own in the tournament, which was to be expected. The aforementioned Tupalski, Tadeusz "Ralf" Adamowski, as well as players like Kazimierz Żebrowski, Aleksander Słuczanowski, Lucjan Kulej, and goalkeeper Edmund Czaplicki, all played for the Polish national team, which at the time was capable of competing with teams like Czechoslovakia and Sweden. The academy players steamrolled through the tournament.

Teachers instead of rivals

They started with a 15-0 rout of Pogoń Lwów, then, with a reserve lineup, defeated the Poznań team 6-0. The gold medal-deciding match was supposed to be against WTŁ. The smaller field in Zakopane caused the Association more problems than benefits. The much better-trained Academics won 7-0 – goaltender Czaplicki reportedly only touched the puck once – and became Polish champions, despite having one game left to play. Some might ask, what about the match against Cracovia?

Well, the match was played, but... the day after the tournament ended, on February 23rd in Krakow. AZS stopped there on their way back and won 13-0. Ralf Adamowski scored 10 goals in that match. The success of the Warsaw "dream team," which was more of a role model than a rival for the other teams, was undeniable.

WTŁ, whose team included one of Poland's hockey pioneers, Wilhelm Rybak, took silver. Their 5-1 victory over Pogoń Szczecin, though the press considered the score too high, was decisive. Meanwhile, Lviv, who had been gaining momentum with each match, proved to be the best team outside the capital, and their bronze medal was secured by victories over teams from Poznań and Kraków.

Cracovia definitely lagged behind the rest, although – as the results show – there weren't many close games. But Pasy were the only team not to score in the tournament. Cracovia goalie Jasiński was so frustrated during the match against Poznań that instead of passing the puck to the defenders, he headed it into his own net.

Lights and shadows

The first completed Polish Championships went down in history as a successful event, although – as "Stadjon" wrote – it was " quiet and shameful." It was noted that the competition lacked publicity and fan interest. Some learned about it after the fact. It should be noted that... finances, or rather the lack thereof, played a significant role in this regard. The fate of the tournament hung in the balance for a long time, until Mr. Starosielski, the Government Commissioner of the Zakopane Commune, finally provided financial support.

In terms of fan interest, primarily tourists, often seeing hockey for the first time, the AZS-WTŁ match was watched by approximately 600 spectators. When Warsaw academics visited Krakow the day after the tournament to give hockey lessons to the "Pasy" team, the match was watched by 2,000 spectators. Zakopane was short on funds and fans, although it must be emphasized that the organizers rose to the occasion. Accommodations were prepared on time and meals were provided, although Aleksander Tupalski noted the beds waiting for the hockey players at the Tatra Mountains Association shelter. Due to their unusual construction, the beds were collapsing. Rolling over meant a disaster in the form of... waking up on the ground.

Despite all this, the tournament received warm reviews, and the first Polish championships brought particularly positive reviews of the sport's contributions. "Stadjon" had no doubt that the event had exceptional educational and propaganda significance, and teams from all over Poland could interact with each other and observe the champion AZS, which acted as a teacher. "Przegląd Sportowy," in Tupalski's writing, noted that the awards ceremony, despite the fact that not all the matches were played (as there was no need for it, as the final standings were determined without the need to play all the matches), took place at a special banquet. The Toruń and WTŁ teams were absent from the ceremony, having to return home.

Results and table of the 1st Polish Ice Hockey Championships.

February 21, 1927, Zakopane Pogoń – Cracovia 3:0 (2:0) Z. Kuchar, Jałowy 2. WTŁ – KŁP 4:0 (2:0) Kamiński, Pastecki, Rybak, Szejnach. AZS – Pogoń 15:0 (11:0) Tupaski 7, Adamowski 7, Kulej.

AZS – KŁP 6:0 (2:0)

?

February 22, Zakopane

KŁP – Cracovia 6:0 (1:0) Laskowski, ? WTŁ – Pogoń 5:1 (2:0) Rybak, Kundziel, Kamiński, Kraiński, Szejnach — ? Pogoń – KŁP 5:1 (3:1) Mauer, Zb. Kuchar 3.

AZS – WTŁ 7:0 (4:0) Adamowski 3, Kowalski, Żebrowski, Tupalski, Kulej. February 23, Krakow

AZS – Cracovia 13:0 (?:?)

Adamowski 10, Żebrowski 2, Słuczanowski. 1. AZS 4 8 41:0 2. WTŁ 3 4 9:8 3. Pogoń 4 4 9:22

4. KŁP 4 2 6:10

5. Cracovia 3 0 0:22 No match played: WTŁ – Cracovia. Top scorer: Tadeusz Adamowski (AZS) – 20 (?).