Detroit Red Wings fans made their feelings towards their former captain, Dylan Larkin, very clear on Friday during the team’s home opener against the New York Rangers.
When Larkin, in street clothes on the bench due to an upper-body injury, was announced during pregame introductions, deafening boos erupted and filled Little Caesars Arena.
Larkin went from hero to zero in Detroit after news of his trade request at the end of last season went public in early June. After failing to move him over the offseason, the Red Wings announced they had stripped Larkin of his captaincy, but he still intended to report to training camp.
Dylan Larkin booed during Red Wings home opener (via @OldeFarmNick/X)
Larkin, who kept a tight-lipped neutral face the entire time, removed his hands from his pockets and initially gave a small, stiff wave to the crowd. A few fellow scratched players seemed to swallow smiles in the background, standing at a semi-awkward distance from the once-beloved center.
He didn’t take the beating for long, leaving the bench and heading down the tunnel as soon as his name left the PA announcer’s lips, with a curt nod.
Shortly after announcing his intent to play despite the unresolved trade request, Larkin said he got injured while working out and would not fully participate in the club’s preseason. He will miss the team’s first two games, potentially returning (and facing the boos again) on October 6.
Red Wings fans also came prepared with a variety of signs calling for Larkin to be traded and mocking his non-answers in his first media availability post-trade request.
Even with Larkin now absent from the game, the vibes stayed low in Detroit, with the vocal, opinionated crowd chanting “sell the team” after the Rangers took a quick lead minutes after puck drop.
Red Wings fans chant “sell the team” during home opener
The Red Wings last made the playoffs at the end of the 2015-16 regular season. In that postseason, they lasted just five games before the Tampa Bay Lightning knocked them out in the first round.
