“Pat Cortina is a good coach with a great character who worked with heart and soul,” the association’s president Franz Reindl said.

“He coped well with the national team’s difficult situation at the World Championship but after three years of good co-operation we came to the common conclusion that for the re-launch of the national team in view of the 2017 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship on home ice we also need new staff.”

The responsible committee will work on Cortina’s succession in the upcoming weeks.

Under Cortina, the German men’s national team finished in 9th, 14th and 10th place in the last three World Championships but missed the qualification to the Olympic Winter Games for the first time in history since coming back after World War II for the 1952 Olympics. Cortina also coached the U20 national team that was relegated at the 2015 IIHF World Junior Championship.