Markov headed back to Russia
BILL BEACON
MONTREAL — After 16 seasons with the Montreal Canadiens, defenceman Andrei Markov is heading back to Russia.
The 38-year-old said on a conference call on Thursday that he will play in the KHL and possibly the Winter Olympics next season after failing to reach agreement on a new deal with Montreal.
Markov said he was not interested in skating for any other NHL club than Montreal, where he played 990 games and put up numbers that placed him among the best defencemen in the storied club’s history. And he did not rule out returning to the Canadiens — or to the NHL — one day.
“Itistough,”hesaid.“Imadeitclear at the end of the season that I wanted to stay with the Montreal Canadiens for the rest of my career.
“It didn’t happen. It’s a business. I’m not blaming anyone. I’m ready to move forward. But it is tough that I’m not going to play my 1,000th game for the Canadiens. At least not this year.”
He did not name his new KHL team because he has not yet signed a contract.
The move is a blow to the Canadiens, who lose a first-rate passer and puck mover who was solid at both ends of the rink despite limited mobility from age and three major knee injuries earlier in his career.
Markov elected to represent himself in negotiations with general manager Marc Bergevin rather than use an agent because, while he drew interest from other NHL clubs, he knew that he would only talk to Montreal and figured it would go smoothly. He has earned the same average annual salary of US$5.75 million in three contracts over the past 10 seasons.
He confirmed reports that he was initially seeking a two-year contract, but by the end was ready to accept a one-year extension. He gave no details on why the talks fell through.
Then the father of four, who got his Canadian citizenship in 2010, decided to take his family to Russia.
“I didn’t see myself with any other NHL team,” he said. “I didn’t see myself wearing another jersey.
“Plus it’s going to be tough for the kids to move for one year to another city in North America. It’s going to be easier for them to adapt in Russia.”
It’s been an emotional year for Markov. He returned to Russia in February to bring his twin fiveyear-old sons back to Canada when his former partner died of cancer. Earlier this month he married Sonya Sonechka, with whom he has a oneyear-old daughter. He also has a 10-year-old son.
“It’s sad to leave but it’s life and it’s a business,” he said. “I understand, but I’m looking forward to new opportunities and I’m happy I have my family next to me. Today’s a sad day but tomorrow is going to be another day.”
It appears to have been an amicable parting.
The Canadiens thanked him and wished him good luck on Twitter. Team owner Geoff Molson also tweeted his regards.
“Arguably one of the best defencemen in franchise history, Andrei was a model of dedication to the great game of hockey,” said Molson. “A respected figure around the league and among his teammates, Andrei demonstrated leadership both on and off the ice.
“Andrei’s commitment to our franchise was second to none, proven by his overcoming three serious and potentially career-ending injuries. I would like to wish Andrei the best of luck in the next step of his career, and happiness with his family.”
Markov’s 990 regular-season games are sixth most among Canadiens defencemen.
His 199 goals are third-most by a Montreal rearguard and his 572 points tie him with Guy Lapointe for second in team history.
He added five goals and 27 assists in 89 playoff games.
Montreal drafted the Russian 162nd overall in 1998 and he made his NHL debut two years later.
The Canadiens signalled Markov’s departure this week with the signing of 39-year-old free agent defenceman Mark Streit. Like Markov, the Swiss veteran plays on the left side and is a strong power-play point man.
This is one time Matt Kuchar could probably use a week off to digest how close he came to winning his first major.
The consolation is Jordan Spieth won the British Open far more than Kuchar lost it. Kuchar had a oneshot lead going to the 14th tee, played the next four holes with two birdies and two pars and found himself two shots behind going to the 18th hole at Royal Birkdale.
And now he’s right back to work in the RBC Canadian Open.
Dustin Johnson also is playing, giving the Canadian Open the No. 1 player in the world for the second straight year. Johnson, who didn’t play for six weeks in the spring because of his back injury on the eve of the Masters, is schedule to play eight of the next 10 weeks through the Presidents Cup.
Spieth is home in Texas sharing sips out of the claret jug.
Even though golf’s oldest championship left town, Britain remains busy with golf. The Senior British Open is at Royal Porthcawl in Wales, the last chance for Bernhard Langer to become the first player since Jack Nicklaus in 1991 to win three senior majors in one year. The LPGA Tour is at Dundonald Links just north of Troon for the Ladies Scottish Open, the final preparation before the Women’s British Open next week.
And the European Tour is back in Germany for the Porsche European Open, where Americans like Jimmy Walker, Patrick Reed and Pat Perez highlight the field.
PGA Tour
More than just winning his first major, Matt Kuchar is eager to win anything. He is No. 12 in the world and has gone more than three years sincehelastwonattheRBCHeritage. That’s on the PGA Tour. Kuchar did manage to sneak out a victory two years ago in the Fiji Open.
Johnson might feel desperate for a victory, too, even though his last one was only four months ago when he captured the Dell Technologies Match Play.
The tournament returns to Glen Abbey, which Jack Nicklaus designed. Nicklaus was a runner-up seven times in the Canadian Open without ever winning. Glen Abbey is best known for Tiger Woods taking that 6-iron out of a bunker and over the water to set up a birdie and a one-shot victory in 2000.
One big story never changes in the Canadian Open — the search for a Canadian winner.
Pat Fletcher in 1954 was the last Canadian to win his national championship. Mike Weir came close in 2004, losing in a playoff to Vijay Singh at Glen Abbey. The field this year includes two PGA Tour winners. Adam Hadwin won the Valspar Championship in March, while Mackenzie Hughes won the RSM Classic at the end of last year.
The par-3 seventh hole at Glen Abbey has boards along the entire hole to make it feel like a hockey rink.
PGA Tour Champions
Langer already won two majors for the third time in his career. He won the Regions Tradition and Senior PGA Championship in successive weeks in the spring, but missed out on the U.S. Senior Open and the Senior Players Championship, where Scott McCarron overtook a fading Langer in the final round to win by one shot.
This is the second time in four years that Royal Porthcawl has hosted the Senior British Open. The last winner on the course in Wales? Langer, of course.
LPGA Tour
If the site of the Aberdeen Asset Management Ladies Scottish Open — Dundonald Links — sounds familiar, it should. The men’s Scottish Open was just there two weeks ago when Rafa Cabrera Bello won in a playoff.
This is the first time the LPGA Tour is co-sanctioning the event with the Ladies European Tour.
The field is strong. Lexi Thompson is the only player from the top four in the world who isn’t playing. This is the first of two straight tournaments in Scotland, with the Ricoh Women’s British Open next week at Kingsbarns.