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Canadiens defenseman Andrei Markov becomes a Canadian

For a lot of players in the NHL, it can be tough to endear yourself to the hometown fans. Usually exceptional play and winning plenty of games will do all the hard work for you. But what if you’re already much beloved in the home city. Is there another level you can take your popularity to that doesn’t involve bringing the Stanley Cup home? What if that city is hockey-obsessed Montreal? It turns out defenseman Andrei Markov found just the right thing to do as Habs Inside/Out’s Dave Stubbs tells us.

Canadiens all-star defenceman Andrei Markov, a Russian native, reportedly will be sworn in as a Canadian citizen in a Montreal court this week.

I have to say there’s no better way to endear yourself to fiercely loyal Canadians than by becoming a Canadian citizen. Of course, this just invites comments about Quebec being at odds with Canada itself and whatnot, but for the time being it’s all Canada. Markov is a guy that many fans want to be named the next captain of the Canadiens (since there isn’t one at the moment) and Markov has such great popularity all without being from Quebec originally as it is. He really is a mold breaker isn’t he?

Now if he wants to go for the big win in all of this, he’ll learn to speak French and then get folk songs written about him throughout the province, or at the very least get to star in a disco song like Guy Lafleur did.