The Detroit Red Wings and general manager Steve Yzerman had made it known that they would announce the team’s new captain before Thursday’s season opener against the Carolina Hurricanes. And the title was awarded to Michigan native Dylan Larkin.
Larkin, who’s entering his sixth NHL season, becomes the 37th captain in Detroit Red Wings franchise history. He was selected with the 15th overall pick in the 2014 NHL Entry Level Draft.
The 24-year-old forward joins a list that boasts Hockey Hall of Famers in Steve Yzerman, Nicklas Lidstrom, Gordie Howe, Ted Lindsay, Sid Abel, Red Kelly and Alex Delvecchio, and fills a position left open when Henrik Zetterberg retired in September 2018.
There was no doubt that Larkin was going to be picked for the job. He had been a clear cut choice for months now, having shown the signs of a captain ever since he was out of the Wings' training camp in 2015.
According to the Detroit Free Press, the plan had been to name Larkin captain before the 2019-20 season, but that was under former general manager Ken Holland. When Yzerman took over in April 2019, he wanted to get to know the players better before making a decision.
And he made the right one today!
