Detroit Red Wings forward Dylan Larkin was grateful on Tuesday. He understood why the fans were booing him, but appreciated that some changed their tune after a solid performance. More than that, Larkin was grateful his teammates had his back. Frankly, they didn’t have to.
Larkin spoke to the media after the Red Wings picked up a win over the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday night. He was thankful and open about the dramatic turn his career has taken.
After a scrum in which Larkin got in the face of Ottawa Senators defenseman Ridly Greig, the Red Wings didn’t bail on their former captain, the same one who asked for a trade and still hasn’t rescinded it. Larkin was standing up for his teammate in Alex DeBrincat, and the rest of the Red Wings joined in, making sure that Larkin wasn’t on his own.
Perhaps it’s naive to believe players wouldn’t come to a teammate’s aid in a bad position, but you never know what kind of message the rest of the roster might have wanted Larkin to receive. He found out quickly that his teammates had got him.
Dylan Larkin chatted with @daniellabruce_ of @WatchDSN following his first game of the season, where the Red Wings picked up their first win.
“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.” He explained, “Cat’s our best player. I thought it was late. When I got up, it was nice to see the core of the guys there with me. That’s what it’s all about.”
Larkin Understands the Frustration From Fans
“I understand why that’s happening. But I was going to try to show up with my play.” The way he’s trying to get through it is by playing hard. That’s all he really can do. Larkin still prefers to be traded. At least, that’s the speculation. He’s also yet to explain why he wants out.
Fans aren’t loving it.
But with a goal, an assist, and a near-fight, it might not take long to win a few of them over. To that end, he’s trying to fly under the radar. “I don’t want to offend anyone with over-celebrating, knowing the situation that’s going on,” he said when asked about his goal and the less-than-boisterous reaction. “But with all that, scoring a goal in the NHL, scoring a goal for this team, when we needed it, it felt pretty good.”
He got a slow cap from the fans in attendance and a number of hugs from his teammates after the game. “There’s a lot of people in here that I love deeply and who mean a lot to me and my career. It was pretty emotional coming back in,” he said.
What Now For Larkin?
Knowing that he’s not won the entire Red Wings fan base over, there’s a lot more work to do. If he changes his mind and decides he wants to stay, it won’t be hard to regain the trust and support he lost. If he is still looking to go, the best thing he can do is be extremely productive and raise his trade value.
The better he plays, the more teams might start looking at him as someone they want to give a solid return for. If the Red Wings fans can’t keep Larkin, what they’ll want is someone comparable.
Dylan Larkin Grateful Red Wings On-Ice Return Didn’t Turn Toxic