Dylan Larkin’s return to the Detroit Red Wings lineup on Tuesday delivered exactly what the team needed and, in truth, exactly the kind of response he would have wanted after a difficult few months. He scored once, added an assist and was named the first star in a 5-3 win over the Ottawa Senators at Little Caesars Arena, even as the home crowd met him with a mix of boos and cheers.
That reaction did not come out of nowhere. After last season Larkin asked the Red Wings for a trade and gave the club a short list of teams to which he would waive his no-trade clause. Entering this season he also lost the captaincy, and an upper-body injury during offseason training delayed his return. So when he skated out for his first shift at 1:51 of the first period, the mood in the building was always likely to be complicated.
An awkward return, then an immediate answer
The first shift brought the boos. The first period soon brought a reminder of why Larkin has been such an important figure for Detroit throughout his NHL career. Ottawa went ahead through Tim Stutzle at 2:44, but Larkin answered at 13:14 of the first period to give Detroit a 2-1 lead and settle the home bench.
It was a clean, direct response to a noisy night. Larkin later admitted it had been “an interesting night” and said, “I’m trying to be a man and face it, and I understand why that’s happening.” That is the reality for a player whose relationship with sections of the fanbase has been strained by the trade request, but his play did the talking once the puck dropped.
The best possible hockey response
Larkin’s second major contribution came early in the second period, when he set up Viktor Arvidsson’s power-play goal at 2:01 to push Detroit ahead 3-1. That was the kind of all-round return Red Wings fans have long associated with him: not just scoring, but driving the game and helping his team control the moment.
He finished with two points in a game Detroit desperately needed after back-to-back losses to the New York Rangers and Winnipeg Jets. The Red Wings are still trying to end a playoff drought that has now reached 10 consecutive seasons, and that makes every productive night from a senior player matter even more.
What Larkin’s night said about Detroit
There was also a harder edge to the game. At the end of the second period, Larkin went after Ridly Greig and took a roughing penalty, a reminder that this was not just a sentimental return. He was into the contest, emotionally and physically, and Detroit needed that.
Afterward, Larkin said he had wanted to “show up with my play” and that it was nice “to be out there with the guys and get a win.” He also said he did not want to “offend anyone with over-celebrating,” but added that scoring “a goal for this team when we needed it” felt pretty good. He even reflected on a more personal moment, saying his 16-month-old daughter would be able to watch the goal the next day and calling that “pretty special.”
For Detroit, the broader point is simple. A return like this cannot erase the last few months, but it can shape what comes next. If Larkin can keep producing like this, the Red Wings gain not just a scorer and creator, but a focal point around whom the noise becomes less important than the points.
