“A wonderful feeling”: Pride prevails in Italy.

Despite a 0-6 loss, Italy is feeling positive after their first game at the Ice Hockey World Championship in Fribourg. It was clear beforehand that Canada was out of reach. Peter Spornberger and Davide Fadani are confident ahead of their second group game against Slovakia.

17 May 2026

From Fribourg

From:
Leo Holzknecht

The Canadian World Championship roster has amassed over 12.000 NHL games combined. This number alone is enough to highlight the disparity in experience between the Maple Leafs and the Azzurri. However, Jukka Jalonen's team refused to be intimidated by the big names of the gold medal favorites. Playing with dedication, passion, and courage, the Azzurri earned the applause of the crowd at BCF Arena.

The players themselves were also very pleased with their performance. "We knew before the game that there would be moments when they dominated us. But I think we held our own well in our zone," said Spornberger after the game. "We were focused on marking our man, which we did successfully. However, they are incredibly strong on the counterattack and caught us out a few times." Indeed, the first two goals came from lightning-fast Canadian counterattacks. Goaltender Fadani kept the Blue Team in the game for a long time with his saves, according to the player from Ritten, who will be playing for the DEL club Iserlohn Roosters next season.

Looking ahead with confidence

“We knew who we were up against today. It was a big difference compared to the seven test matches we had before the World Cup,” explained the Milan player, who saved 35 of 41 shots. “The start was very good. Then we got a bit carried away with the emotions, which led to the counter-attacks. I think this will serve as a lesson for the next matches.”

Davide Fadani let two shots from Macklin Celebrini get past him. © ANSA / CYRIL ZINGARO

When the duo started talking about the superstars on the Canadian roster, the sparkle in their eyes was unmistakable. "I have to admit I was a little nervous," said Spornberger. "Standing next to Sidney Crosby at the face-off is a pretty amazing feeling. Crosby, Celebrini & Co. – you don't get to play against players of that caliber very often. I could only feel his presence when I glanced over during warm-ups." Fadani, on the other hand, said it was a lot of fun. "There are so many great memories that will stay with you forever. After all, Crosby is a legend of our sport. Competing against players like that is fantastic – even if the emotions are always mixed after a loss."

There's not much time to process these emotions, as the next challenge awaits on Sunday: the Azzurri will face Slovakia. "I believe we can take many positive things from this game," Spornberger emphasizes. "Because we had our chances and, as I said, defended well."

Clara or Fadani.

The goalkeeper situation remains unresolved. Damian Clara from South Tyrol is eligible to play.However, the long journey from California argues against his early participation in the World Championship. "Nothing is decided yet," Fadani said when asked. "At the World Championship, you have to play a lot of matches, but I feel good and am ready for any scenario."