Without a contract offer from an NHL club, former Montreal Canadiens defenseman Andrei Markov has inked a professional tryout contract with HC Lokomotiv of the KHL, the league announced Thursday.
Markov, 40, spent 16 seasons with the Canadiens. In August, he announced his desire to return to the NHL, with Montreal his first choice.
In September, Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin said the club was looking to take a younger approach, and he wasn't interested in bringing back the veteran rearguard.
Markov has spent the past two seasons with Ak Bars Kazan, posting 47 points in 104 games and winning the Gagarin Cup in 2018.
The Russian was selected by the Canadiens in the sixth round of the 1998 NHL Draft and ranks sixth in both games played (990) and assists (453) in franchise history.
Copyright © 2019 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.