Dylan Larkin took another hit Friday when TNT analyst Paul Bissonnette ripped the Red Wings organization for introducing the star center, who requested a trade out of Detroit in June, to a booing home crowd.
Bissonnette warned the stunt will cost the Red Wings with future free agents, and with the Larkin standoff unresolved, Detroit opened 2026-27 without a captain. The former Phoenix Coyote also claimed that the Red Wings deliberately tried to embarrass their disgruntled star with the prominent introduction.
Bissonnette called the move “bush league,” said the Red Wings aimed to embarrass Larkin, and claimed Larkin tried to leave through a hallway before someone sent him back out, according to a post by Jeff Riger.
Detroit Red Wings Draw Dylan Larkin Criticism From Bissonnette
Panelists during the first intermission in the Red Wings vs. New York Rangers TNT broadcast also told viewers the booing will hurt Detroit in free agency because players talk among themselves about such things, according to a post by Marc Ryan.
A post by user BaxterBalljr claimed the team asked Larkin and he agreed to stand there. The club has not confirmed any details.
Larkin stood on the bench in street clothes with the other scratches as thunderous boos greeted his introduction, according to the Detroit Free Press.
Fans later chanted “Sell the team!” at owner Christopher Ilitch after the Rangers scored on a power play, the Free Press reported.
Dylan Larkin Trade Request Hangs Over Detroit Red Wings
Larkin missed the game with an upper-body injury suffered in offseason training, and Detroit placed him on non-roster injured reserve retroactive to Aug. 15, according to Pro Hockey Rumors’ Detroit page.
He is out for Sunday’s game against Winnipeg, with a possible return Tuesday against Ottawa.
News that Larkin asked out of the only NHL team he has ever played for leaked June 4, with Sportsnet‘s Elliotte Friedman first to report it, according to The Athletic’s June 5 report.
Then-general manager Steve Yzerman confirmed it June 27. “Shortly after the season, I received a phone call from Dylan Larkin’s agent, informing me that Dylan would like to be traded,” Yzerman said, as quoted by NHL.com’s Yzerman update.
Detroit stripped Larkin of the captaincy he held since January 2021, and he told reporters at camp that asking out “has consequences,” according to Daily Faceoff’s report.
He scored 34 goals in 74 games last season while Detroit missed the playoffs for a 10th straight year, according to a USA Today report.
At camp, Larkin acknowledged he cannot control how fans react. “Obviously, they’re passionate fans. There’s frustration there. I’m frustrated as well,” Larkin said, as quoted by Detroit Sports Nation.
His original list of acceptable destinations included the Florida Panthers, Minnesota Wild and Vegas Golden Knights. By late September it grew to include the Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, Tampa Bay Lightning and Washington Capitals, according to the Free Press.
Interim general manager Shawn Horcoff inherited the file after Yzerman’s exit, and a full no-trade clause protects Larkin through 2027-28.
Detroit now has no captain, a hostile building and a star who wants out, with Winnipeg arriving Sunday.
Red Wings Ripped as ‘Bush League’ For Dylan Larkin Decision in Opener