Slovenia lost all seven matches in the group stage and already after the sixth defeat it was clear the team would be relegated to Division I A.

Jan Muršak scored the only goal for Slovenia against France.

Slovenia's last match in the elite division was watched by Slovenian Hockey Association president Matjaž Rakovec, who expressed disappointment with the seven losses in a row and Slovenia's relegation to the lower division.

"Like all the players and the training staff I'm disappointed. We had expected more, at least a survival, but this is sport. Six months ago we were on the throne in Minsk, and today we are leaving the elite division," he told reporters in Paris.

But Rakovec is optimistic about Slovenia's chances to return to the elite in two years. "An interesting competition in division B is awaiting us, probably in Budapest, and I'm convinced that we will return to the elite group."

Head coach Nik Zupančič is also "disappointed and sad, because I was convinced that we can stay in the elite division. If I wasn't, something would be wrong with me. But defeats are part of sport."

Speaking to the press after the decisive loss to Belarus on Saturday, Zupančič said that he could already provide a concluding assessment of the tournament, adding that the biggest problem was in defence and to many conceded goals.

He did not want to single out any player, but he hinted that there was not a true leader in the locker room, or that perhaps there were too many leaders, which resulted in certain problems.

"The locker room is not such a big problem, but everything has to fall in its right place if we want to be successful at such competitions," Zupančič said, admitting that perhaps not everything was functioning well between the players and the training staff.