"There were a couple of pleasant surprises at the Canadiens' morning skate on Monday.

For starters, Andrei Markov joined his teammates for the first time since he suffered a knee injury more than a year ago. Markov not only went through a full workout, but he also stayed on the ice after the skate.

While Markov making his return, Chris Campoli was on the other sheet of ice at the Bell Sports Complex in Brossard and went through a series of exercises under the watchful eye of strength coach Pierre Allard. Campoli hasn't been on the ice since he suffered a leg injury in the season opener.

Head coach Jacques Martin said it was too early to tell when either of the defencemen will be able to resume playing, but their appearance on the ice represented good news for a team that has had to cope with a string of injuries this season."