The Montreal Canadiens got in their first practice skate after the holiday break this afternoon, and Andrei Markov’s was the most notable absence from the ice.
It’s unknown when the injury occurred, as there was no video evidence of the event. By not making the trip south, Markov will likely be out of action until at least January 7 when Montreal returns to Canada to take on the Toronto Maple Leafs. He will miss another five games if that is the case.
The situation is the same for several other members of the team. It was expected that David Desharnais, Greg Pateryn, and Alex Galchenyuk would miss the trip as they were slated to be out for one to two months with their injuries.