Andrei Markov's surprise visit gives the Canadiens a moment to remember

Coming off the ice after the morning skate, the players came face-to-face with Andrei Markov, comfortably seated in the middle of the locker room. On the eve of his big tribute night on Wednesday at the Bell Centre against the Jets, the former number 79 treated himself to a visit right inside the Canadiens' home.

In the images shared by the organization, we first see a good chat between Markov, his son, and Ivan Demidov. The two Russians take the time to laugh, shake hands, and enjoy the moment.

A few seconds later, Brendan Gallagher pops in to hug his former teammate. The two shared the same locker room during Markov's last seasons in Montreal, and it shows right away in how naturally they reconnect.

You can really feel that the 32-year-old veteran still has enormous respect for the man who anchored the defensive corps for so long.

It all culminates when Markov walks toward the Canadiens' head coach. Martin St-Louis drops what he's doing, steps forward, and takes a real moment to talk with him-far from a simple quick greeting.

The tone is warm, the smiles are wide, and it's clear that the message is complete respect for a modern Bleu-blanc-rouge legend.

Drafted in the 6th round, 162nd overall in 1998, he played 990 career NHL games, all with the Montreal Canadiens, collecting 572 points, including 119 goals. We're talking about one of the most productive defensemen drafted in the last 30 years, nothing less.

In the end, this scene in the locker room, on the eve of Wednesday night's tribute, feels like a passing of the torch.

The veterans salute a pillar of the 2000s, the young players like Demidov benefit from direct contact with a legend, and Martin St-Louis makes sure everyone fully understands what Andrei Markov represents in the recent history of the Montreal Canadiens.