It was in the second period, when Denmark led 1-0, that Italian Spornberger grabbed Jensen's arm and turned it so that Jensen fell into the ice and got a nasty blow.
The Dane remained seated and held his arm, before he was forced to leave the ice.
No deportation was handed out.
Spornberger then patted Jensen before the Dane stepped down.
Heinz Ehlers was seen angrily accepting the judges' explanation for the missed expulsion.
Italy, who started the championship with two straight losses, then equalized to 1-1.
The match is still going on.