In the world of the NHL, there's nothing more satisfying than being a hater.
Well, apart from your favorite team winning the Stanley Cup, of course. Beyond that, though, there's something satisfying about watching rival teams fall apart or seeing reviled players finally get their comuppance.
The Detroit Red Wings have many historical rivals they can call their own, from the Chicago Blackhawks to Claude Lemieux himself. Today, though, the era of rivalries has all but dried up in Hockeytown. The Blackhawks are in a different conference. The Avalanche and Red Wings only play a couple games a year. Even the Ottawa Senators, Detroit's supposed division "rival", are nothing more than a passing afterthought when glancing at the standings.
Who, then, is the most hated player in Detroit?
According to a poll conducted by RotoWire, Jamie Benn of the Dallas Stars is the most hated NHLer among Red Wings fans.
Why Red Wings fans hate Jamie Benn
Benn has rarely been a likable player throughout his career. From questionable hits to outright dirty plays, the power forward is a villain in many NHL franchises' stories.
The main reason Red Wings fans hate him, though, is a dirty cross check that resulted in then-captain Dylan Larkin breaking his neck.
Not only did Larkin's season end abruptly, Benn faced no supplementatry discipline for the act. He wasn't even penalized, frustrating fans throughout the NHL. Since that day, Benn has been the subject of choruses of boos every time he takes to the ice at Little Caesar's Arena.
Recent events might make him even more hated:
Trade request offers puzzling look into Larkin's mentality
At this point, it's clear that all soon-to-be-former captain Dylan Larkin wants is to win. The only trade candidates he's offered on his list - the Florida Panthers, Vegas Golden Knights, Minnesota Wild and, now, the Dallas Stars - offer him a chance to chase a Stanley Cup. If Larkin were to join any of these teams, he wouldn't be the first, second or even third best player on the team.
Rather than be a key difference-maker, he'd be a member of the supporting cast.
That's what makes the addition of the Stars so puzzling. Benn is the captain of the Stars, which means if Larkin were to wind up in Dallas, he'd be answering to the man who broke his neck. It's clear Larkin's in no rush to leave Detroit, otherwise he would've expanded his trade list and helped Steve Yzerman hammer out a better deal.
Why is Larkin so eager to take the orders of the player who injured him? Did his time in Detroit really end that poorly?
It's a shame to see the story take a turn this way.
Add us as a preferred source on Google