
Hockeytown has made their feelings known for their former captain.
Fans let out a chorus of boos when Dylan Larkin was introduced in the opening ceremony of the Detroit Red Wings’ regular-season home opener Friday night.
Dylan Larkin was introduced at the Red Wings home opener and received a whole lot of boos pic.twitter.com/fOsgr1FzMZ
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) October 2, 2026
Larkin, who was not in the lineup due to an upper-body injury, waved at the crowd as those in attendance heckled him.
The emotional response to Larkin’s appearance comes after he requested a trade from the team in June. The 30-year-old center is under contract with Detroit through the 2030-31 season with a cap hit of $8.7 million.
He reportedly gave the Red Wings a list of three teams he would accept a trade to in June: the Florida Panthers, Minnesota Wild and Vegas Golden Knights.
Red Wings fans booed Dylan Larkin as he was introduced with the scratches pic.twitter.com/sYwW42aEae
— Max Bultman (@m_bultman) October 2, 2026
In 2025-26, Larkin scored 34 goals and added 33 assists for 67 points. The Red Wings missed the playoffs for the 10th straight season.
Last month, the Red Wings announced Larkin had been stripped of the captaincy after six seasons of wearing the “C.” The team also said any conversations regarding his future with Detroit would be kept private.
Larkin said he and the club had discussions on his future in the offseason that carried into training camp.
“When new leadership is in place, we’ll talk further about the direction of the team,” he said. “We will keep those conversations private, and I will keep my focus on the season ahead and on the guys in that room.”
Through 11 NHL seasons, Larkin has 276 goals and 367 assists for 643 points in 808 career regular-season games.
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