Detroit suspends Dylan Larkin without pay amid trade standoff
Detroit suspended Dylan Larkin without pay after his agent said the forward would stop playing until a trade was arranged. His request to leave dates to June, and negotiations remain active. The former captain had attended training camp and started the season, but missed Thursday’s morning skate before Detroit faced Chicago.
Sports··Evening
Detroit acts after Larkin refuses to play
The Detroit Red Wings, a US professional ice hockey club, suspended forward Dylan Larkin without pay on 29 October after his agent told the team he would no longer play until a trade was arranged. Interim general manager Shawn Horcoff said the club received a call saying Larkin would not come to the rink and no longer wanted to remain with Detroit. The 30-year-old missed the morning skate and was left out of the lineup against the Chicago Blackhawks. Earlier in the day, his absence had been described as trade-related. Detroit subsequently confirmed the suspension and expressed disappointment, referring to the player’s obligations to the organisation and his teammates.[1], [2]
June trade request became an in-season standoff
Larkin asked to leave in June but subsequently attended training camp and began the season with Detroit, where he had spent his entire professional career. The club removed him as captain, and supporters booed him at its opening home game. Agent Pat Brisson said Larkin had lost patience, while maintaining that his client had acted professionally and cooperated during the process. ESPN, citing sources, reported that Larkin met agents Brisson and Matt Williams before deciding to stop waiting. At training camp, the player had declined to discuss his reasons for wanting to leave. Detroit selected him in the 2014 draft; his current agreement runs through the 2030–31 season.[1], [2]
Trade talks continue without a suspension timetable
Horcoff said discussions with interested clubs remained active but gave no timetable for the suspension. Larkin’s contract gives him approval over a trade, and he expanded his list of acceptable destinations from three teams to 10. Horcoff said reaching an appropriate agreement with those clubs was difficult. He also credited Larkin for continuing to work hard on the ice during the process. Defenseman Moritz Seider and forward Alex DeBrincat said they wanted to move forward with the players who remained. Coach Todd McLellan described the persistent attention to Larkin’s trade request as a distraction and said the team was moving on.[1], [2]
