Overview
- Montreal staged a pre-game ceremony on Dec. 3 before facing the Jets, with a more than two-minute ovation and “Olé, Olé” chants for the longtime defenceman.
- Markov stepped onto the ice beside a painted No. 79 to deliver a brief, nervous speech while accompanied by his wife and two children.
- A tribute video featured messages from former teammates José Théodore, Brendan Gallagher, P. K. Subban and Carey Price, along with Washington’s Alex Ovechkin.
- Owner Geoff Molson invited Markov roughly three months earlier, and Markov said he was surprised by the email and holds no lingering resentment over his exit.
- Known as “The General,” Markov played 16 NHL seasons in Montreal with 572 points (tied for second among Canadiens defencemen), was a two-time All-Star, finished 10 games shy of 1,000 after 2017 contract talks ended, then continued in the KHL before retiring in 2020.