Sep 30 Markov, Gill, Gionta Named Habs' Assistant Captains

A few surprises this afternoon as the Canadiens made a statement about their captaincy situation: They named no captain.

They instead named 3 assistants who will represent the team both on and off the ice. And while perhaps no one expected that disgruntled castoff  and recently suspended Sergei Kostitsyn was in the running for the honour, one would have thought that that surely either Mike Cammalleri or Scott Gomez were.

The Habs decided that the three A’s would be stitched onto the uniforms of Hal Gill, Andrei Markov and Brian Gionta.

The official Canadiens’ press release follows.

TORONTO, Ontario (September 30, 2009) –Montreal Canadiens’ Head Coach Jacques Martin announced today that defensemen Andrei Markov, Hal Gill and forward Brian Gionta have been named assistants.

Andrei Markov, 30, who is entering his ninth season with the Canadiens, was one of the assistants on the team last season. Since joining the Canadiens back in 2000-01 Markov has played 571 NHL regular-season games.

Veteran defenseman Hal Gill, 34, was acquired as a free agent in July 2009 after winning the Stanley Cup with Pittsburgh in 2009. Over his 11-season NHL career, Gill played 851 regular-season games with three other NHL teams.

Brian Gionta, who is also entering his first season as a member of the Montreal Canadiens after signing as a free agent on July 1, 2009, has played his entire NHL career with the New Jersey Devils where he won the Stanley Cup in 2003. At age 30, Gionta has played 473 regular-season games since he first played in the NHL back in 2000-01.

The Canadiens will get their 2009-10 NHL season underway on Thursday, October 1, in Toronto where they will visit the Maple Leafs.

Tags: Andrei Markov \ assistant captains \ Brian Gionta \ Cammalleri \ Gomez \ habs \ Hal Gill \ Montreal Canadiens \ named \ NHL \ Sergei Kostitsyn

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