Andrei Markov’s tribute delighted the Bell Centre, but Sportsnet left many fans unhappy

Wednesday night at the Bell Centre, the tribute to Andrei Markov was magical, but the TV broadcast left many fans in the dark.

Before the game against the Winnipeg Jets, Markov made his entrance on a blue carpet, accompanied by his partner and two of his children, in front of roughly 21,000 people.

A standing ovation of about two minutes, repeated ‘Olé, Olé, Olé,’ and, at the microphone, a simple ‘Merci beaucoup. Je vous aime’ spoken in French, restrained and humble, were enough to bring the entire arena to its feet.

The 46-year-old defenseman, who will turn 47 on December 20, drafted in the sixth round in 1998, spent 16 seasons in the Canadiens uniform.

He totals 990 games, 119 goals, 453 assists, 572 points, and a +64 rating-huge numbers for a sixth-round pick who never left Montreal in the NHL.

In the stands, there were fans from everywhere, even Rhode Island, where an American fan explains that he has followed the Canadiens ever since he discovered Markov on TV in 2010.

He owns several Habs jerseys, but of course it was number 79 he came to wear at the Bell Centre to “say thank you” in person to his idol.

Andrei Markov at the heart of a unique evening

While emotion was rising in the arena, many viewers were writing that they weren’t seeing the tribute live on their English-language channel.

The long-awaited evening seemed to be happening off-screen for part of the country, and the questions started pouring in.

On social media, the chatter was loud: some said they only saw Markov in a replay, others claimed they had to wait for clips to circulate online before finally hearing his message to the fans.

For a ceremony announced for weeks, the contrast with what was happening inside the arena was striking.

This mismatch is what bothers people, because this evening was meant to close an old wound. In 2017, general manager Marc Bergevin did not offer Markov a new contract, letting him leave after 990 games in the Canadiens uniform, without reaching the 1,000-game milestone or surpassing Guy Lapointe in points among defensemen.

Many fans, even today, see that as a lack of respect toward a pillar of 16 seasons.

Seeing part of the fanbase deprived of real-time images during his grand return therefore leaves a bitter taste, even if the Canadiens organization delivered exactly the tribute night that had been requested for years.

In the end, no matter which channel people were watching, one sentence will stick in the minds of those who were there-and those who saw the video afterward: ‘Merci beaucoup. Je vous aime.’

One last declaration of love from Andrei Markov to the city where he played 990 games and wrote a good part of the Canadiens’ recent history.