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A Tribute to Andrei Markov: Canadiens Fans Pay Their Respects
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- A Tribute to Andrei Markov: Canadiens Fans Pay Their Respects
Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
The Montreal Canadiens will honour Andrei Markov on Wednesday night, a nod to one of the most important defencemen in team history.
Editor's Note:This post was written by Montreal Hockey Now special contributor David Landsman. You can follow David by clicking on this link .
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The General
The Canadiens have enjoyed the luxury of having many legendary blueliners throughout their storied history.
Many have entered the Hockey Hall of Fame, as evidenced by the fact that five of the 15 numbers retired by the franchise happen to be defencemen.
Prior to puck drop against the Winnipeg Jets , Habs faithful will pay tribute to one of the greatest Habs defencemen in recent history — the General, Andrei Markov — who spent his entire 16-season NHL career with the Canadiens.
They won't be retiring his No.79, nor is getting his photo set to be added to the Ring of Honour, though there's certainly an argument to be made that those steps should be undertaken.
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Drafted in the sixth round, 162nd overall, back in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft by Montreal, he was brought-in to help provide an offensive flair at a time when talent had all but abandoned by the Canadiens lineup.
He was a member of the Russian World Junior team in 1997 and 1998, winning a silver and bronze medal along the way. He made his North American debut with the then-AHL affiliate Quebec Citadelles, suiting up for 14 games, and recording five assists, before quickly receiving a promotion to the NHL.
Donning No.79, the first-and-only Habs player ever to wear that number, the talented Russian came into his own almost immediately.
A Productive Career
In his first season, he recorded six goals, 23 points, through 63 games; good for ninth in team scoring. The following year he again started in the AHL, but his stint was shorter than the last.
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After recording 10 points in 12 games, the Habs brass knew they had something special in Markov.
He would go onto to be a regular in the Habs lineup up until his retirement in 2017, while dealing with an almost seamless stream of injuries. The injuries never prevented him from making an eventual return to play, regardless of the projected recovery duration.
His best season came in 2008-2009, when he scored 12 goals and added 52 assists, good for 64 points. It also happened to be the season Montreal hosted the 57th NHL All-Star Game, which featured the talented defenceman representing the Canadiens, one of his two All-Star appearance during his career.
Righting A Wrong
Following the 2016-17 season, one which saw him dress for 62 games, scoring six and 36 points, the only question going into the offseason would be if Montreal management, led by Marc Bergevin, would re-sign the then 38-year-old blueliner.
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He had just concluded a three-year contract that paid him $5.75 million per season – but he knew he wouldn't touch that type of figure in a new deal.
Markov, intent on concluding his career with the Canadiens, represented himself in contract negotiations.
It didn't take long for Habs management to make an announcement that left an awful taste in everyone's mouth.
On July 26, 2017, they announced that they would not be re-signing the Russian all-star defender, a staple on the blue line since 2001.
It was a heartbreaking message to someone who had shown an impressive level of loyalty toward the franchise.
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Two days following the announcement, Markov announced he would travel overseas to play in his homeland, signing with Ak Bars Kazan of the Kontinental Hockey League.
And after a stellar regular reason of 33 points through 55 games, he also played 19 playoff games, and helped lead Ak Bars to the Gagarin Cup, the Russian equivalent of the Stanley Cup.
In the back of his mind, he was likely still hoping to get an opportunity to say goodbye to the fans that had supported him throughout his impressive career.
Markov was just 10 games shy of 1000, a situation that will forever remind fans that he was robbed of a very rare career milestone.
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He also represented one of the few silver linings at a time when the Habs struggled to land impact players. If Markov had played in a different era, there's a healthy chance he would rightfully be regarded as one of the best defencemen to play for the Canadiens.
Markov represented a throwback to a different era for an entire generation of Canadiens fans. A vestige reminding everyone of the franchise's past glory, while offering fans at the Bell Centre hope that things would one day improve.
He also displayed an impressive level of dedication to the sport, city, and organization, recovering from multiple serious injuries that would have permanently sidelined most athletes.
Once the final tally was made, Markov finished tied for second all-time in scoring among Canadiens defencemen, to the tune of 572 career points, trailing only Larry Robinson (883 points), one of the best defencemen in NHL history.
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For those lucky enough to have watched Andrei Markov — the quiet leader on and off the ice — the ceremony will be a long-overdue honour for a man who gave everything, every single night.
On Wednesday night, Canadiens fans will finally get their last chance to salute The General.
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