Todd McLellan gets candid about Red Wings fans booing Dylan Larkin
Photo credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Todd McLellan said he feels bad for Dylan Larkin after Red Wings fans booed the former captain during Friday's home opener introductions at Little Caesars Arena.
Dylan Larkin got a rough welcome back at Little Caesars Arena on Friday night.
Red Wings fans booed the former captain when he was introduced with the scratches ahead of the season opener against the New York Rangers, and Todd McLellan was asked about it after the game.
McLellan said Larkin wanted to be part of the ceremony as a member of the team.
The coach added that Larkin has to live with the consequences of asking for a trade, called the situation uncomfortable for everyone, and said he genuinely feels bad for his player.
"Dylan being part of the team, he wanted to be out there for the ceremony. Obviously he's got to live with the ramifications of asking for a trade. It's not comfortable for anybody, I feel bad for him. I do."
- Todd McLellan
- Todd McLellan
Why the boos were no surprise
Larkin asked out on June 4 after Detroit missed the playoffs for a tenth straight season, which is the longest active drought in the NHL.
The Red Wings then stripped him of the captaincy he held for six seasons, and they have not named a replacement.
He is a Michigan native who played at the University of Michigan before Detroit drafted him, so this was never going to be a quiet night.
Larkin still has five years left on a contract that carries an $8.7 million cap hit, and no deal has materialized.
Larkin's injury and what comes next
Larkin did not play because of an upper-body injury that has kept him out since training camp began.
Detroit moved him to non-roster injured reserve hours before puck drop, and McLellan ruled him out for the first two games.
Detroit had hoped he could return Tuesday against the Ottawa Senators, which would put him back in front of the same crowd that just let him have it.
The night did not go well on the ice either, as the Rangers shut out Detroit at home.
The Larkin saga drags on, and nothing cools off in Detroit until it ends.
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Dylan Larkin walks out on the Red Wings after getting booed by fans
Dylan Larkin walks out on the Red Wings after getting booed by fans