Red Wings Fans Boo Dylan Larkin Loudly Before Opener vs. Rangers
· Yahoo Sports
Dylan Larkin wondered two weeks ago how Detroit Red Wings fans would react when he returned to Little Caesars Arena. He received his answer before the puck even dropped on the 2026-27 season.
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Red Wings fans booed Larkin during Friday night’s Opening Night introductions, according to Red Wings reporter Max Bultman, when the former captain was introduced alongside Detroit’s scratches before the game against the New York Rangers.
Larkin wasn’t in uniform because of the upper-body injury that has sidelined him since training camp began. Todd McLellan ruled Larkin out for Detroit’s first two games on Thursday, with the Red Wings hoping he could return Tuesday against the Ottawa Senators.
The injury kept Larkin from playing Friday. It didn’t keep him from facing the reception that had been looming since his trade request became public.
Larkin Knew the Boos Could Be Coming
The reaction didn’t arrive without warning.
Larkin requested a trade following last season, and Detroit later announced that he would no longer serve as captain after holding the position for six seasons. He nevertheless reported to training camp and addressed the situation publicly, acknowledging that asking out as captain would carry consequences.
When Larkin was specifically asked how Red Wings fans might respond to him at Little Caesars Arena, he didn’t pretend the relationship was unchanged.
“I can’t really control that,” Larkin said. “Obviously, they’re passionate fans. There’s frustration there. I’m frustrated as well, and I just hope that there’s 22 other guys in the room. It’s about them, not about one guy, so we’re going to hopefully move on.”
Friday’s response showed that at least some fans haven’t moved on.
Detroit’s Relationship With Larkin Has Changed
This was not a visiting player getting booed in Detroit. This was a hometown player who grew up in Michigan, played at the University of Michigan, was drafted by the Red Wings and spent six seasons wearing the “C.”
That history is precisely what makes the reaction notable.
Larkin confirmed during training camp that he had asked Detroit to trade him, while also saying he intended to behave professionally and rebuild trust with teammates. Interim general manager Shawn Horcoff has since declined to say whether Larkin still wants a trade, keeping the substance of those conversations private while publicly supporting the 30-year-old center.
The Red Wings also entered Opening Night without naming another captain. That left Larkin’s offseason decision hanging over a night normally built around optimism and introductions.
The crowd didn’t ignore it.
The Bigger Test Comes When Larkin Plays
Friday’s boos were symbolic, but Larkin was standing with the scratches rather than skating onto the ice as part of Detroit’s active lineup. His first game back should provide a much better indication of where the relationship between Larkin and the fanbase actually stands.
McLellan is hoping that opportunity arrives Tuesday.
Larkin’s absence from the first two games had already delayed his chance to begin repairing that relationship on the ice. Once he returns, every shift will offer something an Opening Night introduction could not: an opportunity for his play to influence the reaction.
A goal can change the sound inside an arena rather quickly.
For one night, though, there was no ambiguity about what a portion of Hockeytown wanted Larkin to hear.
The boos came first.