Red Wings Larkin: ‘Not Ready to Go There Yet’

As former Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin spoke publicly for the first time about his trade request, it was evident that the impact and turmoil of the fallout from that decision were taking a toll on him.

He looked like an uncertain high school boy dealing with his first breakup with a girlfriend.

To his credit, Larkin did step up to face the music as the Red Wings opened training camp on Thursday. And, yes, he understands that there is a growing element among the Red Wings fanbase that wants nothing more than to tune him in.

“I’m here, I’m speaking to you guys today because you guys deserve answers, the fans deserve answers,” Larkin told the gathered media. “I don’t want this distraction.

I don’t want one of my teammates to have to answer before you hear from me.

“And I’m trying to be professional about it.”

Larkin didn’t expect that he would be where he was, addressing the Detroit media on the first day of training camp. He assumed a trade would’ve been done by now.

“I guess I didn’t foresee what happened,” Larkin said. “Some of it was out of my control, to be honest with you.”

Larkin Declines to Go Into Specifics About Why He Wants to Leave the Red Wings

While he was willing to talk, Larkin wasn’t willing to pull the curtain back and reveal all.

What led him to request a trade? How much of the speculation is factual?

“There’s a lot of personal stuff in that,” Larkin said. “And, you know, to be honest with you, I’m trying to be honest with you guys today, and I’m not ready to go there yet.

“I understand that there’s answers that fans and people that care about this organization around the world want to know, but I’m really not ready to go there. And it’s maybe something that I may never be.”

Larkin’s first mission upon arrival was to address his teammates and clear the air.

“It was not because of them, and, you know, that’s as far as I’ll go on that,” Larkin said, referencing his trade request.

He wouldn’t confirm that he submitted a three-team destination list to the Red Wings. Larkin didn’t address speculation that it was a rift between him and former GM Steve Yzerman that led to the trade request.

He wouldn’t even talk about the possibility for reconciliation with the organization.

“I’m going to keep that to myself,” Larkin said.

Larkin did address the loss of the captaincy, acknowledging that it was the right thing for the team to do.

“I asked for a trade from the Detroit Red Wings as the captain and actions have consequences,” Larkin said. “I understand why that decision was made, and I’m going to be a professional about it.”

He also recognizes that when he takes the ice this season, still wearing the jersey he longer longer seeks to wear, there is going to be fan discontent.

Frankly, Larkin admitted, he doesn’t know how he’s going to handle the likelihood of being booed by his own fans.

“I’m not quite sure, to be honest with you,” Larkin said. ” I can’t really control that.

Obviously, they’re passionate fans. There’s frustration there.

I’m frustrated as well.

“I just want to play. I’m a hockey player, and there’s a lot of people in there that I care deeply about — players, staff.

Just being around them, it’s home.

“One day at a time, one game at a time, like, like the rest of the team.”

The rest of the team, though, hasn’t demanded to get out. That’s the elephant in the room that Larkin doesn’t seem to quite understand.

“I’m excited to be a part of this team,” said the former captain who no longer wants to be part of that team.