Maybe you should take a look at the video on TSN. There is no doubt he did it in front of the Swiss bench. There's even a brief comment from the Swiss coach.
http://www.tsn.ca/world_jrs/
For the record, I think people are making too much of it.
Couldnt care less. My smirk was about people always bringing up "
I was there" as if they always have a better spot than those with 10/endless replays of the incident.
The point here, however, is people accusing someone of something when they have no clue of his intentions whatsoever. Doing something on the ICE, while not pointing, stopping or saying anything (or any other offensive gesture aimed at the nation) at the opponents bench will NEVER be a misconduct in my book. He is celebrating, doing so with a well known and classic hockey celebration... as
he passes by a bench.
Are you allowed to grin because you are happy as you skate by the opponents bench? In my view, its just as bad as anything else, in that case.
And to the people pulling out their "When in Rome..."
This isnt the NHL and its hidden rules doesnt apply, this is an IIHF tournament played in Calgary and Edmonton. People can shove their "dont do this in america" up their behind. I love the NHL and most of the values that the league and its players share - but stop trying to force this on a kid that have never set his foot there.
To those saying they are referring to IIHF rules - fine. All I am saying, the kid was under pressure. He was happy he delivered and he brought something extra, and in my view he didnt aim it at anyone except maybe his teammates.