Mroczkowski made the decision to sign with GKS Tychy. The Silesian club has gone from strength to strength in recent years, and the Canadian-Polish forward made an immediate impact, scoring 59 points in 46 regular season games to win the Polish league’s scoring race.

However, he said that the transition to professional hockey wasn’t all that easy at the outset.

“It was a pretty tough transition in the beginning just to get used to the speed and quickness of how everything is and how much stronger everyone is,” Mroczkowski stated.

The Tychy forward praised his linemates Michael Cichy and Alex Szczechura, who were both also born in North America but have Polish roots, for aiding his transition.

“It was an easy transition knowing the language, all of the guys on the team are really welcoming and especially my two linemates are both North American guys so they really helped me out. I didn’t put too much pressure on myself, it was my first year so I just had to work as hard as I could and put in the effort every day,” Mroczkowski remarked.

While settling into life across the Atlantic, the Tychy forward also said that he had to adjust to a new style of hockey, particularly when it came to ice dimensions.

“In Europe, the ice rinks are all Olympic sized, they’re a lot bigger. Here in the league I played in, you play in different types of rinks: small, NHL-sized, Olympic-sized. So you really have to adjust your game every day knowing that one game was going to be more physical and things are going to happen quicker. I think in Europe you have to be much more positionally ready and you can’t be just running around the ice trying to hit everyone, because you’re going to be out of position and the other team are just going to go down the ice quickly and counter on you,” Mroczkowski explained.

By virtue of winning the domestic title in 2019, Tychy once again were Poland’s representative in the Champions Hockey League this past season. Drawn in Group F alongside Djurgården Stockholm, Adler Mannheim, and the Vienna Capitals, the Polish club knew that the task would not be easy, but Tychy managed to spring some surprises on the way.

On Game Day 1, the Polish side welcomed Djurgården to Silesia, and despite a 6-2 loss, Mroczkowski said that the experience was overwhelmingly positive.

“In our first game at home, with a sold-out crowd, it was so loud in there you could barely communicate with your teammates on your bench. It was an incredible atmosphere and just the quality of the teams we were matched up against made you really be a lot more focused and knowing that you had to be 100% ready for everything,” Mroczkowski remarked.

Despite the challenges, Tychy managed to make their mark in Group F. The Polish club took four out of a possible nine points on home ice, after comfortably beating the Capitals 4-2 on Game Day 5, and just being edged out on Game Day 2 against Adler Mannheim.

According to Mroczkowski, these results were a vital confidence booster for the team and its players going forward.

“Any points you can pick up in the Champions Hockey League, especially a win, give you a lot more confidence, not just in the CHL but going back to your own league knowing that you can beat a top side like that in another league so there’s no reason why we shouldn’t be able to perform like that in our domestic league,” he said.

GKS Tychy have consistently given their all in the Champions Hockey League, both on- and off-ice. The Polish club won the CHL’s first ever Marketing Award in 2018/19 and finished a close second to the Belfast Giants in 2019/20.

The pride the club has is also reflecting in the incredible support the team receives from its fans.

“The fans are really passionate, they show up every game and really get behind us. When we’re winning and things are going well the fans are always on our side, and they gives us that added little pressure which I like because it just makes you dial it in every game and makes sure you’re getting those results because the fans are just as passionate as we are,” Mroczkowski said

Looking ahead to the 2020/21 season, Tychy face the shortest road trip in the Round of 32, having been drawn against Czech side Bílí Tygři Liberec. It will be the first time that the Polish club has faced a Czech team in the competition, and Mroczkowski said that he was looking forward to the clash.

“It’s going to be a tough matchup. I believe they were either top of the league or in second place. It’s going to be a good test, I know they’ve got some ex-NHL guys on their team and it’s going to be a quick game, but I think we’ve added some depth to our team and we’ve got a strong lineup, so we should be able to try to get a result," he said.

"It’s going to be good if we come out with at least a win from those two games. I know it is going to be a bit tougher on the road but at home we’re going to be much more comfortable. I’m looking forward to the games and it’s going to be a good test for us,” the Tychy forward added.

Read our full preview of the Round of 32 clash between Tychy and Liberec

As Mroczkowski makes his mark on both the domestic and European stage, it is likely that he won’t be waiting long for a chance to represent the Polish national team as well, an opportunity that he said he would relish.

“It’s definitely a goal of mine. It would be nice to represent the national team, especially knowing what your background is or where you come from. To put on that red and white shirt with the eagle crest is a goal of mine one day for sure,” the Tychy forward said.

GKS Tychy’s club slogan, “We Want More”, sums up the organization in a nutshell. A proud team with an unmatched run of success in Poland, the Silesian side are primed once again to give their all in the Champions Hockey League.

The club’s goals for 2020/21 are set out for all to see. A fourth straight domestic title and a deep CHL run. Christian Mroczkowski, GKS Tychy’s newest superstar, is the man to lead them there.