Just because Dylan Larkin admitted no regrets about his trade request to the Detroit Red Wings and accepts the harsh consequences doesn’t mean he will condone being under siege by his own fans. The relationship between the Red Wings’ fans and Larkin appears broken, but he still sent them a straightforward message.
With the trade request stuck in quicksand, the former captain is expected to start the 2026-27 NHL season in Detroit—and to be greeted with a hostile reception. Even if Larkin accepts that fans have a right to make themselves heard and show their disapproval, the former captain wants the fanbase to realize the jeering could also become a distraction for the rest of the team. By trying to put Larkin on notice, the fans could end up costing the Red Wings as a whole.
“I can’t really control [how the fans treat me]. Obviously, they’re passionate fans. There’s frustration there. I’m frustrated as well,” Dylan Larkin admitted, via Brad Galli on X. “I just hope that, there’s 22 other guys in the room. It’s about them as well, not just about one guy. We’re going to move on.”
Larkin’s press conference didn’t help him much
There was a lot of pressure on Larkin—whose latest injury update raised eyebrows ahead of training camp—as he addressed the media in Detroit for the first time since he asked out of the organization. Looking for answers, fans were disappointed to learn Larkin would tiptoe around the thin ice and not really clear up the air. Asked whether the trade request is still standing, Larkin kept his cards close to his vest.
Dylan Larkin #71 of the Detroit Red Wings.
“I’m going to keep that between Shawn (Horcoff) and I,” Larkin answered a question on whether there’s any chance of reconciliation. “I’m going keep that to myself. The request originally was not meant to get out. It did. We’re here today. I learned from that experience.”
Fans are still upset with Larkin, and most didn’t like the fact that he didn’t really provide clear answers about his future. All the buzz surrounding the former captain remains unresolved, and reports will only continue to grow wilder and wilder entering the 2026-27 NHL season.
Larkin and Red Wings’ fans remain apart
Larkin hopes his public appearance helps his case and serves as a way to repair his relationship with the fans and the team. Many believe it’s beyond repair, but Larkin is holding on to a sliver of hope. For the time being, only he knows if he wants to stay in Motor City or not. Even if he does, though, he will have to earn his way back into the fans’ hearts, which by now appear to be shut, locked, and under safe.
Regardless, Larkin remains confident about where he stands and even admitted that being stripped of his captain role may be a good thing for him and his NHL career. “I’m excited to be a part of this team and, you know, back at the bottom of the totem pole, which is maybe kind of nice,” Larkin said, per Detroit Free Press.
Being back at the bottom of the totem pole may be an enriching experience for Larkin, but at some point, he must ask himself if throwing everything he had built in Mo-Town away was worth it. Based on the fans’ reactions, it appears it was not. Perhaps Larkin will only take full consciousness the first night he’s greeted with a rain of boos at Little Caesars Arena.
