It won't be long before the 2025-26 NHL season arrives, and the Detroit Red Wings have already begun informal preparations for what will be their centennial campaign.
Dylan Larkin, who attended a Detroit Tigers game this week at Comerica Park just down the street from Little Caesars Arena, expressed excitement for the upcoming season and even compared the Red Wings’ roster to the young Tigers while being interviewed in the broadcast booth by commentators Jason Benetti, Andy Dirks, and Daniella Bruce.
"We’re going to have some guys who are going to come up and impress and hopefully solidify themselves as roster players for a bright future for their careers and our team," he said.
During the Red Wings' offseason, Larkin and his wife Kenzy became first-time parents, welcoming baby girl Lennyn Marie Larkin near the end of May.
Needless to say, Larkin has been loving life as a girl dad.
“It’s been awesome,” Larkin said of the experience. “I’ve been home a lot. Perfect timing, end of May, our season was over. It’s been truly amazing.”
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The birth of Lennyn was a joyous blessing for the Larkin family, who experienced a gut-wrenching loss in late 2023 with the loss of who would have been their first baby.
"This week my wife and I said goodbye to our baby," Larkin wrote in a heartbreaking Instagram post shortly afterward. "It's hard to find words or positivity in this, but we greatly appreciate your support and understanding and thank you for respecting our privacy."
During Larkin's live in-game interview, he also touted the multiple local ties to the Mitten State within the Red Wings organization as a way of strengthening their connection to the local community.
Larkin, a Michigan native, played collegiately at the University of Michigan, as did Andrew Copp. Teammate J.T. Compher also played for the Wolverines, while Alex DeBrincat, Austin Watson, and prospect Carter Mazur are all Michigan natives.
“It is very cool with the ties, we all talk about it," Larkin explained. "Another cool thing is the guys from Europe and we bring them to Tigers games or Lions games and now they’re fans and they support it. They might not know what’s going on in a baseball game but they wear their Tigers gear and they’re proud. It’s very special to have ties here.”
Red Wings fans in northern Michigan will soon have the chance to see the team take the ice for Training Camp, which begins Sept. 18 and has been held at Center I.C.E. Arena in Traverse City since the late 1990s.
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