Detroit Red Wings fans booed Dylan Larkin at the home opener, months after their long-serving captain asked for a trade. A fair response, or harsh on a loyal player?
Larkin, 30, a Michigan native, was stripped of the captaincy after his trade request became public in June. Detroit has missed the playoffs for 10 straight seasons. He was injured and in street clothes when his name was announced before Friday's 2-0 loss to the New York Rangers.
What happened
Detroit opened the NHL season on 2 October with a 2-0 home loss to the New York Rangers. Dylan Larkin, 30, was on injured reserve with an upper-body injury and appeared in street clothes; when he was announced during pregame introductions, the crowd booed loudly, ESPN reported. His trade request became public in June, and the club later removed his captaincy and began the season without a captain. Larkin has five seasons left on an eight-year, $69.6m contract, and Detroit has missed the playoffs for 10 consecutive years.
Why people disagree
Some fans see a captain asking to leave as a betrayal, and coach Todd McLellan said Larkin has "got to live with the ramifications of asking for a trade". Larkin himself said the request "has consequences". Others say a Michigan-born player who stayed through a decade without playoff hockey has earned the right to chase a title elsewhere. TNT analyst Paul Bissonnette called the club's handling "bush league", and McLellan added: "I feel bad for him."
What's still unclear
It is not confirmed whose idea it was for Larkin to be introduced: McLellan said he wanted to take part, while Bissonnette alleged the club set him up. Whether and where he is traded, and how fans react once he is playing again, remain open.
Sources
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