Red Wings Have To Earn Fans Back The Old Fashioned Way

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On Tuesday evening, the Detroit Red Wings not only picked up their first victory of the 2026-27 NHL campaign but also welcomed forward Dylan Larkin back into the lineup for the first time this season.

Larkin scored a goal, added an assist and was named the game's first star as a result. However, he was heavily booed during his first shift and sporadically throughout the night by fans in attendance at Little Caesars Arena.

Notably, the game was one of the more sparsely attended regular-season games at the venue in recent memory, excluding the COVID-19-shortened 2020-21 campaign, when attendance limits were in place.

Upon the opening face-off, there were several thousand empty seats on full display, as late-arriving fans began to make their way inside. 

Despite the reported attendance of just over 17,500 fans, that number seemed awfully generous. 

Red Wings fans, who did sell out the venue for their opening game against the New York Rangers, voiced their frustration at multiple points with repeated "Sell The Team!" chants, a trend that continued in the following home game against the Winnipeg Jets. 

That being said, the Red Wings players and coaching staff have no control over executive decisions made at the highest levels of the organization, and have no choice but to try and win fans back the old fashioned way - playing well and winning. 

"We have to separate some of this stuff," head coach Todd McLellan said. "The Players have to just go play hockey, and we do whatever we can to be successful and entertain, and then hopefully that will bring the fans out." 

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But, that's our input into it," he continued. "That's all we can do. If anybody watched the game tonight, I think win or lose in any of the three games we played, I think you have to at least acknowledge the effort, and the grind and attempt, and understand what we've been dealing with." 

McLellan concluded by saying that despite his club having picked up only two of a possible six points through their first three games, he's liked their effort in all three outings. 

"I haven't been disappointed with our team at all, but we only have two of six points," he said. "So, we'll continue to grow it, and hopefully that solves some of the other things that are going on." 

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