Dylan Larkin scored 13 minutes into his season debut Tuesday night, set up another goal, and walked away with first-star honors as the Detroit Red Wings beat the Ottawa Senators — but the biggest story of the night wasn't on the scoresheet. It was the mixed reaction from the home crowd, which booed Larkin on his very first shift before warming to him as the game wore on, a jarring split-screen moment for a franchise still trying to figure out what to do with its highest-profile player.
A Complicated Homecoming
Larkin, a 30-year-old Michigan native who has played his entire NHL career in Detroit, missed the start of the season because of an injury he sustained when he reported to training camp. Head coach Todd McLellan had said Larkin would play against Ottawa if cleared by doctors, and he was activated off injured reserve in time for Tuesday's game, according to ClickOnDetroit. It marked his first appearance since requesting a trade over the summer, and fans had already made their feelings known — some had taped insulting labels over Larkin's name on the scoreboard and chanted “sell the team” during Detroit's home opener, a scene Hoodline detailed in its report on fans booing an injured Larkin earlier this month.
On the ice Tuesday, Larkin was slow to get back defensively early on, and Ottawa's Tim Stützle capitalized by scoring off the rush. But Larkin answered, giving the Red Wings the lead with his own goal roughly 13 minutes into the game, then setting up Viktor Arvidsson for a goal early in the second period. The same report notes he deliberately avoided over-celebrating after scoring. By night's end, the frosty reception had shifted — the home crowd cheered him, and he was named first star of the game.
Larkin's Place in Franchise History
The two-point debut carried historical weight beyond the box score. By recording a point in a Red Wings season opener for the 11th time in his career, Larkin surpassed franchise legends Sergei Fedorov, Alex Delvecchio, and Nicklas Lidstrom for third-most in team history, according to Heavy Sports. Only Gordie Howe, with 18 such openers, and Steve Yzerman, with 12, have done it more often. Across 11 seasons with Detroit through October 6, Larkin has piled up 643 points — 276 goals and 367 assists — in 808 regular-season games, placing him 10th on the franchise's all-time scoring list, per NHL.com.
Afterward, Larkin spoke candidly about where things stand. “I'm trying to be a man and face it,” he said, according to ClickOnDetroit's report, adding, “I'm going to try to show up with my play.” It's a notable stance from a player who, as the same outlet notes, remains in limbo months after his trade request — still a Red Wing, but not the captain, and not fully embraced by the fan base that once rallied around him.
Captaincy Stripped Amid Front-Office Upheaval
Larkin's on-ice bounce-back unfolds against a backdrop of organizational chaos. Red Wings management formally stripped him of the captaincy in September, leaving the “C” vacant entering this season — a stunning fall for a player who had served as Detroit's 37th captain since January 2021, as Hoodline previously reported when covering Yzerman's exit as GM. Yzerman stepped down as executive vice president and general manager on July 15, transitioning into a senior advisor role to CEO Chris Ilitch while ownership searched for a new head of hockey operations, according to NHL.com. The Red Wings later named assistant general manager Shawn Horcoff interim general manager on September 15, giving him authority over daily roster decisions while the permanent search continued, the league's official site reported separately.
Larkin's trade request has reportedly evolved alongside that instability. He initially limited his list of acceptable destinations to Minnesota, Florida and Vegas before reportedly expanding it to as many as eight teams, according to Sportsnet. His leverage in any deal is considerable: Larkin's eight-year, $69.6 million extension, signed in March 2023, carries an $8.7 million annual salary-cap hit through the 2030-31 season and includes a full no-movement clause, meaning no trade can happen without his sign-off, per Elite Prospects.
A Franchise Still Searching for Direction
The front-loaded structure of that deal has added financial friction to the standoff. The Red Wings paid Larkin $31 million in actual salary across the first three seasons of the extension before his trade request, leaving an average of $7.72 million annually over the five seasons still remaining, Bolavip reported. Detroit's roster uncertainty extends beyond Larkin, too — unsigned restricted free agent defenseman Simon Edvinsson left training camp on September 30 and returned to Sweden to train with SHL club Frölunda HC amid an ongoing contract impasse with Horcoff, according to The Hockey News.
All of it plays out under McLellan, who took over behind Detroit's bench in December 2024 after the dismissal of Derek Lalonde and is now in his second full season as head coach. The Red Wings haven't made the playoffs since Larkin's rookie season, a drought that stretches back further than any other team in the league among the NHL's 32 clubs — a reality Hoodline covered in detail after Detroit's season-ending loss to New Jersey, in the piece sealing a 10th straight miss. Whether Larkin's strong debut changes the calculus on a trade, or simply makes him a more valuable chip, remains an open question Horcoff and Detroit's eventual permanent general manager will have to answer.
