Dylan Larkin will report to the Detroit Red Wings' training camp, but without the'C' on his chest.
Larkin will no longer serve as captain as the Red Wings work to navigate his trade request ahead of the regular season, the team announced Friday.
"The Red Wings will begin the 2026-27 season without a captain being named," the team said in a statement."Any further discussions or decisions will be made once new hockey operations leadership is in place."
The 30-year-old publicly requested a trade at the beginning of the off-season after the Red Wings failed to make the playoffs for the 10th straight year. The Detroit Free Press' Helene St. James reported at the time that Larkin would only approve a trade to the Minnesota Wild, Vegas Golden Knights or Florida Panthers.
"Dylan is under contract as a member of the Detroit Red Wings. Any conversations regarding the future with the Club will take place privately when a new hockey operations leader has been named," the team said.
Larkin, who is signed for five more years with an $8.7 million AAV, has a full no-movement clause, meaning he must approve any potential trade before the deal can be made official. The 30-year-old has played 11 seasons with the Red Wings, reaching the playoffs only once in his rookie year.
Larkin had worn the “C” on his jersey for the past six seasons. He asked then-general manager Steve Yzerman for a trade after the team missed the playoffs for an active NHL-record 10th consecutive year.
Yzerman abruptly stepped down from that role in mid-July, and the Red Wings said any decisions about Larkin’s future would be made by the next person in charge of hockey operations.
For his part, Larkin said his focus remains on the team until such time as his trade request is granted.
"Over the past couple weeks, Red Wings leadership and I have had several in-depth discussions. I've appreciated those candid conversations, and I will be at training camp with my teammates," said Larkin.
"When new leadership is in place, we'll talk further about the direction of this team. We will keep those conversations private, and I will keep my focus on the guys in that room.
Teammate Alex DeBrincat said word emerging of the trade request made things uncomfortable for a bit but did not change what he and others thought about Larkin.
“He’s still a great player,” DeBrincat said Wednesday at the annual NHL/NHLPA preseason player media tour in Las Vegas. "He’s been a great friend and a great teammate to me, and we obviously love him here.
That’s kind of for him to answer of what’s next for him, but I think for us, it’s all the same. We’re happy to see him at the rink and happy to get started.”
The Red Wings open their training camp on Sept. 17 at Little Caesars Arena.
-- With files from the Associated Press