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As a kid growing up in Kirkland, Mark Barberio was a huge Canadiens fan.

Who was his favourite player?

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“Actually, (Andrei) Markov was my favourite,” Barberio said after practice Monday in Brossard. “I always liked the way he played, always smart, always made great plays with the puck. So he was one guy I always looked at when I was growing up.

“Before that, I guess I always liked Mark Recchi, too, when he was with the Canadiens just because his name was Mark. That was pretty much the only reason.”

Now that Markov is Barberio’s teammate, has he told the 37-year-old Russian veteran that he was his boyhood idol?

“No, I haven’t told him,” the 25-year-old Barberio said with a laugh. “Now that you’re teammates with the guys, that’s in the past.”

Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin signed Barberio to a one-year, two-way contract this summer, hoping with 103 games of NHL experience with the Tampa Bay Lightning that the defenceman could provide some leadership for the youngsters with the AHL’s St. John’s IceCaps.