Detroit Red Wings forward Dylan Larkin said he understands why some fans booed him in his season debut and that regaining his teammates’ trust will take time, speaking with reporters after Tuesday night’s game against the Ottawa Senators at Little Caesars Arena.

It was Larkin’s first game since requesting a trade in the offseason, a move that led the team to strip him of the captaincy in September. He missed the first two games with an upper-body injury, heard boos during his early shifts, and then scored in the first period and was named the game’s first star in Detroit’s 5-3 win (read the recap).

On the fans

Larkin told reporters he understood the mixed reaction and was trying to accept it rather than avoid it. “I’m trying to be a man and face it,” he said, per TSN. He said his aim was to let his play do the talking, and that he held back on celebrating his goal because he did not want to come across as disrespectful, even though scoring for a team that needed a win felt good.

On the locker room

Asked whether he had rebuilt trust with his teammates, Larkin did not claim that he had. He said he was not sure about trust yet and that it would take time, adding that in a hockey dressing room, “it’s through your actions, not your words,” according to Detroit Sports Nation. He also spoke warmly about the group, saying there are many people in the room he cares about deeply.

McLellan: time to play hockey

Coach Todd McLellan said Larkin simply focused on playing once he took the ice and that his presence made a difference. McLellan said Larkin played with visible emotion, which he viewed as a positive, and that teammates rallied around him on the bench. He framed the win as a team effort and said the situation had dragged on long enough, so the group needed to get back to focusing on games.

Separately, Detroit Hockey Now reported that Larkin’s first-star interview was held in a hallway outside the dressing room rather than at the bench, away from fans in the arena. The team has not commented on the change.

The Red Wings (1-2-0) host the Seattle Kraken on Friday, Oct. 9.

Sources

• TSN: Larkin on mixed reaction from fans
• Detroit Sports Nation: Larkin on trust inside the locker room
• Detroit Sports Nation: McLellan on the Larkin situation
• Detroit Sports Nation: Larkin’s postgame interview moved (relaying Detroit Hockey Now)
• Daily Faceoff: Red Wings fans boo Larkin in return from injury
• Detroit Red Wings (NHL.com): game recap