The Italian national hockey team is headed to relegation for another year following its 5-1 loss to Sweden at the International Ice Hockey Fedeation Championship in Minsk Belarus on Monday.
Sunday’s loss left the team 15th overall in the 16-team tournament, surpassing only winless Kazakhstan.
Trail native Trevor Johnson, 32, picked up two assists in the tournament, including an assist on Italy’s lone goal in its 6-1 loss to Canada on Friday.
The Italians haven’t managed to stay in the elite division for more than one year since 2006 to 2008.
“It was a frustrating game for us,” Italian head coach Tom Pokel told reporters. “A frustrating situation for us. All I can say is that our tank is empty.”
Italy’s only win was a 2-1 victory over France, which advanced to the quarter-finals for the first time since 1995, with a 6-2 win over Denmark.
Meanwhile, Canada returns to action against Norway today. Sweden leads Group A but Canada can reclaim the top spot with a victory in its last round robin game.