Markov starts celebrations early ahead of ceremony

Andrei Markov got a head start on his homecoming celebrations.

Back in town on Tuesday, the former Montreal Canadiens defenseman stopped by the Bell Centre with his six-year-old son, Alexander.

The team is scheduled to honor Markov in a pregame ceremony on Wednesday before the game against the Winnipeg Jets (7:30 p.m. ET; SN, RDS).

After checking out his old locker, the two-time NHL All Star met with fellow Russian skater and current Canadiens forward Ivan Demidov.

Markov played his entire 16-year career with the Canadiens, from 2000-2017. He suited up for 990 regular season games and another 89 in nine Stanley Cup Playoffs appearances.

After his time in the NHL, the 46-year-old officially hung up his skates in April 2020. He spent the final three years of his hockey career with Ak Bars Kazan and Lokomotiv Yaroslavl of Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League.

Known as a quiet giant and a strong leader and mentor on and off the ice, Markov made his impact in Montreal, and Canadiens fans have an opportunity to show their appreciation on Wednesday.

“Canadiens fans have incredible passion for the game and their team,” Markov told NHL.com last week. “I’m surprised that any time I come back, people know me and want to shake my hand. The love of the fans is something that is very important to me. I’ll never forget that, and I’ll never forget them.”

NHL.com columnist Dave Stubbs contributed to this report