Dylan Larkin Has Emotional Response to Red Wings Return; Latest on His Trade Request

Tuesday night saw something a lot of Detroit Red Wings fans thought they’d never see: a Dylan Larkin return to the Detroit Red Wings lineup. He was back after a tumultuous summer that included a trade request and a minor injury that kept him out of the first couple of games for the team.

Larkin’s return began with boos. He understood why. But after a solid effort and a showing that he wasn’t going to quit on his team — no matter how long they remain his team — his first game ended with a win, a goal, an assist and a scrum.

---

Larkin, who still hasn’t rescinded his trade request, had been out with a minor injury and played his first game of the season. He had not played in the preseason either. The closest he got to the ice was the player introductions at the home opener, where he was heavily booed by the fans and he left likely feeling pretty low about his future.

The reception on Tuesday night was not warm at first either. A chorus of boos greeted Larkin when he took the ice. “It’s part of it. I’m trying to be a man and face it,” Larkin said after the game. “I understand why that’s happening. But I was going to try to show up with my play.”

The mood changed once he scored. Larkin took a feed from Victor Arvidsson at the top of the crease and swiped the puck past goaltender Samuel Ersson. The fans jumped to their feet and cheered, putting Detroit up 3-1. Larkin barely celebrated. “I don’t want to offend anyone with over-celebrating, knowing the situation that’s going on,” he said. “But with all that, scoring a goal in the NHL, scoring a goal for this team, when we needed it, it felt pretty good.”

The Night Got Even More Emotional For Larkin

Later in the game, Larkin stepped in when Senators forward Ridly Greig dumped Alex DeBrincat to the ice with a reverse shoulder to the chest. Larkin tracked down Greig and set off a scrum behind the net. Earlier in the day, DeBrincat had publicly backed Larkin in the media.

“Cat’s our best player. I thought it was late,” Larkin said. “When I got up, it was nice to see the core of the guys there with me. That’s what it’s all about.” He added with a laugh: “The pack mentality, the good teams do it, and you need it. It didn’t go well for me, but it was nice to see the four other guys in there when I got up.”

Nick Cousins chirped Larkin during the exchange, pretending to rip a “C” off his own jersey.

Larkin said the team was a little shorthanded but battled throughout. “We kind of showed what we can be as a team,” he said. “We needed that win.”

The night was emotional for him. When he was named first star of the game, Larkin said the response caught him off guard. “I was like, why is everyone slow-clapping me? It was good, it’s meaningful,” he said. “There’s a lot of people in here that I love deeply and mean a lot to me and my career. It was pretty emotional coming back in.”

For Larkin, simply playing was the point. “It felt good to be a hockey player,” he said. “For a hockey player it’s the best medicine, just to play, and just enjoy it.”

Next: NHL Trade Talk Recap: Maple Leafs, Flyers & Oilers Mystery?