Pre-tournament rankings went right out of the window as newcomers Poland needed just four games to strike gold at the 2025 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship Division I Group B in Kaunas, Lithuania.

Jakub Janik scored a couple of goals and added an assist as Poland edged host Lithuania 3-2 to build an insurmountable lead at the top of the standings during the penultimate day of action at the Kaunas Ice Palace. The victory vaults Poland into next year´s Division I Group A.

Lithuania finished with silver for the second year running. For the two Asian participants, there were contrasting fortunes. Korea continued an upward trend jumping up to third. Top-ranked Japan suffered a second consecutive relegation to fall into previously unknown depths of Division II Group A for 2026.

One step back, two steps forward has become a winning formula for the Polish U18 national team under head coach Andrei Gusov. Following relegation from this division in 2023, the Poles re-grouped to seal an instant return to Division IB on home ice in Sosnowiec last year. Eleven from last year´s roster continued their rich vein of form in Kaunas to move up among the top 16 nations in their age category.

Aiming for at least two points to secure gold with one game to spare, Poland went ahead against neighbours Lithuania when pouncing on its first power-play chance with just over five minutes remaining of the first frame. With the shots favouring Poland 12-7, the tournament´s Top Defender, Mateusz Majkowski carefully considered his options from the blueline before converting from a wrister through traffic.

The Lithuanians, second last year in Estonia´s capital Tallinn, aimed to go one better on home ice. They needed 30 seconds to reply as Deimantas Sulinskas scored on his second close-range attempt after Tobias Jaworski had made the initial save.

Janik, then stepped into the spotlight to lash an unanswered double past Lithuania´s netminder Naglis Vaisvila on both sides of the second intermission as Poland charged ahead into a 3-1 lead. Teammate Olaf Zachariasz also played an integral part adding his second and third assist of the evening.

Desperately needing goals to stay in the hunt for gold, Lithuania´s head coach Mario Durocher went for bust with 5:07 left to play in the final frame. With Poland´s Filip Wojciechowski serving a two-minute hooking minor, Vaisvila was yanked from the Lithuanian net with an extra skater added.

40 seconds later, Mykolas Skadauskas cut the deficit to a single goal. During a thrilling end to the game, Vaisvila was pulled twice in a last-gasp hunt for an equalizing goal. Poland defended valiantly and the tournament´s Top Goalkeeper Jaworski withstood the storm as the Poles went on to celebrate promotion.
Earlier in the tournament, a strong second period showing with goals by Tymoteusz Petrazycki and Wojchiechowski set the tone in Poland´s 4-1 opening day win versus Japan. Five different scorers then tallied for Poland as they came from behind to beat Estonia 5-1. On Day Three, Wiktor Zajac went on to score a brace and convert a penalty shot in a 4-3 shootout win over France. With the gold medals already secured, Poland lost 5-3 to Korea in their final game and recorded their first defeat in World Championship play since 16 April 2023.

Lithuania´s Skadauskas led the tournament scoring race with ten points, closely followed by teammate Sulinskas and Korea´s Beomsu Kum with eight. Another Lithuanian prospect, Dovydas Jukna was joint fourth in scoring and capped a fine individual performance with winning the Top Forward accolade.

On the final day of action, Estonia´s goalie Simon Sildre stopped 41 shots as Akim Frolkov and Nikita Antonov tallied for the Estonians in a vital 2-1 win over fourth-placed France. Frolkov also converted the deciding goal in a 4-3 shootout victory versus Japan on Day Four as a late escape kept fifth place Estonia in the division at the expense of Nippon.