Dylan Larkin is having a really stellar year for the Detroit Red Wings, a true contender in the Eastern Conference this year. He’s also a star for Team USA, a unit that fell short in last year’s 4 Nations Face-Off and is aiming for revenge and a gold medal in this year’s winter Olympics. Thanks to Charmin, Larkin spoke with New Leaf News about that and more.
Dylan Larkin Expects Similar Team USA Experience
Dylan Larkin played (and played rather well) for Team USA in last year’s 4 Nations Face-Off. It was a smaller scale for international hockey, but it was one of the first chances NHL players had in a while to really don their country’s colors.
In a few days, Larkin and his fellow Americans will come together again. He expects the experience to be much the same. “You look at the rosters of the teams, and they’re pretty similar. I think the Olympics will be a little bit different because of the other nations involved and the different tournament format, but you’re going to get down to those big games, and you’re going to have to play those teams, and you’re going to see the speed and the skill that took place in the 4 Nations and the physicality,” he said.
Even though the Olympics are seen by many as the pinnacle of athletic competition, Larkin understands that it’s just hockey, and hockey is hockey. He plays it on a near-daily basis, and the sport won’t suddenly change in Milan.
He does believe there might be something different mentally, but since he and his teammates have been playing all season, they should be ready to go when the puck drops. “Everyone’s in game shape, and everyone has, is coming from different teams, so it’ll be an adjustment period to get acclimated with their teams, but I think everyone’s a professional and will be able to adapt quickly,” the Red Wings star noted.
Right now, the NHL is still going on, but players are getting ready to join their countries. That provides a bit of a challenge, as Larkin said it’s “a little different” playing games for the league while knowing Milan is waiting. “You’ve got to still maintain the focus of doing your job here, but also staying ready for Milan,” Larkin said.
This is the first time since 2014 that the Olympics will feature NHL players. The best the sport has to offer can finally compete on arguably the biggest stage. Larkin believes this is a huge step for the sport and that it will undoubtedly grow as a result.
He also said that fans will benefit because they want to see the Hughes brothers (Jack and Quinn) team up, or the Tkachuk brothers get on the ice together again, or see Auston Matthews play with Jack Eichel, and so on. It’s going to be a fun event for NHL fans.
That unit of Americans came up agonizingly short in the 4 Nations. They fell in overtime to Canada, with Connor McDavid slotting home the winner. Larkin said that failure is “for sure” in the back of the team’s mind, and added, “Nothing’s guaranteed. We have to go there and win, and you have to beat good teams.”
Latvia, a team that wasn’t in the 4 Nations, is up first, and Larkin said they are a “dangerous” team that’s not going to “roll over” for Team USA. He does believe the stinging loss last year will be a really good motivator, though.
The Red Wings are Playing Well
Last season, Dylan Larkin and the Detroit Red Wings missed the playoffs by just a few points. This year, as of now, they’re second in the Eastern Conference with 72 points. They’re firmly in the playoff picture, and it looks like they’ll be playing postseason hockey when it’s all said and done.
“Our team confidence [is better], and it started last year when Todd McLellan was hired and he instilled the thought and how willing we had to be to play winning hockey and what winning hockey looked like, and we really responded well to that, and we built confidence through that,” Larkin said. That confidence has carried over to this season.
This was the first time Larkin had experienced a midseason coaching change, and the firing of Derek Lalonde was seen as a surprise across the sport. “I was surprised by how much it energized our team. To be honest with you, it’s not an ideal way to energize your team because people are losing their jobs and their lives are changing, but it really did spark us,” he said, noting that the Wings went on a hot streak right after that coaching change.
A couple of weeks ago, Larkin slotted home an overtime winner against the Toronto Maple Leafs. It was his 12th career OT winner, and it tied him for first in Red Wings franchise history with Sergei Federov. Federov is a Hall of Famer, a three-time Cup champion, and an All-Star.
Larkin admitted he doesn’t spend a ton of time thinking about his place alongside Federov and others in Red Wings lore, but he said it is definitely “pretty cool.” He continued humbly, “I’m just lucky to have played one game, let alone as many as I have, and scored as many goals as I have. I’m very grateful for the guys that I’ve played with and some of the great passes that I’ve received to support some of those goals.”
The Red Wings are important to Larkin, as is Team USA. When faced with the choice between a Red Wings Stanley Cup or an American gold medal, he couldn’t decide. “Both would be like, I might have to retire from hockey. So, it’s hard to put a finger on one. They’re 1A and 1B,” he said.
As for Charmin, Larkin was effusive in his praise. “Just a great product and was honored that they asked me to be involved with them,” he said. “The product that Charmin UltraStrong and the Diamond Weave Texture and Three Man Weave and hockey and the similarities there and the back-checking… It just made sense, and it was such a great honor for me to be involved with Charmin UltraStrong and as their official touch paper at Team USA.”
Conclusion
In just a few days, Dylan Larkin will be in the throes of the Olympics, the hopes of a nation on his shoulders and the shoulders of his teammates. For now, though, he’s working with Charmin and reflecting on how well the season has gone, what’s next, and more.
