"Spittin' Chiclets" host Paul Bissonnette and former Team USA forward T.J. Oshie lauded the efforts of Detroit Red Wings team captain Dylan Larkin on behalf of the United States' Olympic team.
All it will take for Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin and his Team USA teammates to claim their first Olympic gold medal since the famed Miracle on Ice in 1980 is one more victory.
They’ll have their work cut out for them. Standing in the way of Team USA and gold medal glory is Canada, boasting one of the most stacked rosters in international competition.
Regardless of how the highly anticipated Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 gold medal showdown unfolds, Larkin has put the hockey world on notice with his performance for Team USA.
Larkin, who has opened the scoring in each of the Americans’ last two games, has been a driving force behind their success.
He’s also caught the attention of the Spittin' Chiclets podcast, one of the sport’s most prominent shows, hosted by former NHL players Paul Bissonnette and Ryan Whitney, among others.
"We asked Kevin Bieksa....who has to step up for the U.S. in order to get this thing done?" asked Bissonnette. "We were expecting Jack Eichel, maybe Auston Matthews. He said one guy that he's expecting to bring it is Dylan Larkin."
"You see him with that big goal in that game and saw what he did in the Four Nations (Face-Off)," Bissonnette continued, referencing Larkin's performance for Team USA last February. "I think the world, especially American hockey fans, are seeing what this guy can provide not only offensively, but how he plays a 200-foot game."
Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features.
Appearing as a guest on the podcast was former Washington Capitals forward T.J. Oshie, who gained international fame for his performance for Team USA in the Sochi Games of 2014.
"Watching him in this tournament, some guys have a way of almost inspiring and being a motivational, inspirational player with how they play the game," Oshie said of Larkin. "I think he's that guy, and he seems to be able to rise up in big moments."
Oshie, who covered a game late last month between Larkin's Red Wings and the Minnesota Wild, noted Larkin's competitiveness and fierce hunger that serves as the driving force of Detroit hockey.
"You could just see a sense of pride and hunger and almost like adrenaline, that he was on the team and just wanted to make a difference and impact on the game," Oshie said. "I think people should start paying more attention to him."
Larkin has the chance to make a major impact for his country in what will be the biggest game of his professional hockey career to date.
Never miss a story by adding us to your Google News favorites!
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.