Eight years after his unceremonious exit, Andrei Markov finally received a proper thank you from the Montreal Canadiens and their fans.

The Bell Centre crowd welcomed Markov with a more than two-minute ovation — and a chorus of “Olé, Olé” chants — as the Canadiens honoured their longtime defenceman with a ceremony before puck drop Wednesday against the Winnipeg Jets.

A tribute video, featuring past teammates José Théodore, Brendan Gallagher, P.K. Subban and Carey Price, and fellow Russian Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals, played on the arena’s big screen before the soft-spoken Markov made a speech next to his No. 79 on the ice.

“Oh boy, I’m nervous,” said a visibly emotional Markov, accompanied on the ice by his wife, Sonya, and two of his kids, Vasilisa and Alexander.

“I alway

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