The Italian Ice Sports Federation has accepted the resignation of Clayton Beddoes from the position of head coach of the national ice hockey team, it was announced on Tuesday.  

“We thank Beddoes for his efforts in these years.” said FISG president Andrea Gios. “Beddoes joined Italy first as an assistant to Stefan Mair, and then as head coach of the senior national team, with whom he reached the top division. In recent weeks some differences of views have emerged on technical and organizational aspects that have led both sides to opt for an interruption of the employment relationship. For our part, we wish Beddoes all the best for his professional and personal future."

Beddoes was hired as an assistant coach in 2015, while also serving as head coach of Sterzing/Vipiteno in the Alps Hockey League. He took over as head coach for Team Italy in 2018, and helped guide the country win promotion at the 2018 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship Division I Group A.

In the process Beddoes also continued to coach club hockey. After Sterzing/Vipiteno he worked for a season with ERC Ingolstadt before joining HC Bolzano as head coach for two seasons.

The FISG is already looking for a replacement for the 49-year-old Canadian for the 2020 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship and for the Olympic qualification tournament in late August in Riga, Latvia. In the meantime Italy will be guided by the two assistant coaches: Riku-Petteri Lehtonen and Giorgio De Bettin.