IIHF looks to punish Russia for postgame antics at Worlds (Video)

When Canada won gold medal in the ultra-important IIHF World Championships on Sunday, the likes of Sidney Crosby, Tyler Seguin and Claude Giroux celebrated big-time. The Russians … not so much?

In fact, after getting completely smacked 6-1 by Canada in the gold medal game, they just left the ice for the Canadian anthem. Like seriously, didn’t even bother to listen to it.

Here is the ‘smoking gun’ video by Russian reporter Slava Malamud. He indicates that the ringleader was Ilya Kovalchuk. The peacekeeper was Mark Messier-like leader Alex Ovechkin.

Malamud also tweeted out a photo of Kovalchuk at the exit of the ice.

And the IIHF will strike down with an Iron Fist!

Via Reuters:

"Once we arrive back home after the world championships we will look into this question and we will get in touch with those in charge at the Russian Ice Hockey Federation," IIHF president Rene Fasel said in the statement to the TASS news agency.

"The IIHF has its own protocol and some sort of punishment will be handed down.

"When I saw what had happened, I was very upset. In the 29 world championships that I have had the honor of attending, this is the first time I have seen something like this. What the Russian team did was completely out of order.

"On the ice during the game, anything can happen -- collisions, fights. However, after its conclusion, respect to the opposition is always necessary," he added.

It was definitely poor sportsmanship, no question. But for example … in the NHL when you lose, you shake hands and you leave. In the IIHF you have to watch the other team celebrate and whoop and holler? Remember those gut-wrenching photos of Team USA after the 2010 Olympic gold medal loss to Canada?

No doubt Russia needed to take the loss better, but there has to be some sort of frustration level there.

Especially with you know … seeing something like this happen.

Congrats on your lifetime triple-gold Sid! Which was only made possible by the Penguins turning into a soap opera at the end of the season.

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Josh Cooper is an editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @joshuacooper

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