After last season left Dylan Larkin drained and frustrated, he enters this year with one word on his mind.
“Excitement,” the Detroit Red Wings captain said.
The 29-year-old forward, now a first-time father, joined the Detroit Tigers broadcast booth on Tuesday to reflect on the upcoming season and his life off the ice, highlighted by the arrival of his daughter, Lennyn Marie Larkin, in late May.
“Going into a new season, you always have that excitement,” Larkin said. “Eighty-two games of anything. Fresh slate.
“Guys are starting to come back into town. Young guys are coming in and looking good. I’m excited about the group.”
Reminiscent of the current Tigers roster, Larkin said the current Wings roster has something in common with the Wings.
“[They’re] young,” he added. “Similar to these guys out here. Especially last year where they kind of came out of nowhere and made that run, we’re going to have some guys who are going to come up and impress and hopefully solidify themselves as roster players for a bright future for their careers and our team.”
Larkin, a native of suburban Detroit, now speaks with the cadence of a player restored by the offseason. Five months can change a great deal. Where he once sounded ready to move on, time, rest, and perspective appear to have renewed his commitment.
Larkin also isn’t the only Wings player with Michigan ties. There are six other players on the team who were born in Michigan.
“It is very cool with the ties,” Larkin said. “We all talk about it. Another cool thing is the guys from Europe and we bring them to Tigers games or Lions games and now they’re fans and they support it. They might not know what’s going on in a baseball game but they wear their Tigers gear and they’re proud. It’s very special to have ties here.”
Larkin also touched on his experience as a new dad
“It’s been awesome,” Larkin said. “I’ve been home a lot. Perfect timing; end of May our season was over. It’s been truly amazing.”
September signals the return of training camp, the preseason, and soon the regular season itself. This year, Larkin takes the ice with added meaning—his wife and newborn daughter watching their hero skate in stride.
With the Red Wings’ improved commitment to defense, aggression, and elite scoring, experts say we could see the best Larkin yet this coming season.