Red Wings Suspend Dylan Larkin Without Pay After He Says He Won't Play for Detroit Again

The Dylan Larkin standoff in Detroit has reached a breaking point. The Red Wings suspended Larkin without pay on Thursday, Oct. 29, after the 30-year-old center told the team he will no longer play for the franchise, months after he asked to be traded.

“Dylan Larkin has informed us that he will no longer play for the Detroit Red Wings,” interim general manager Shawn Horcoff said in a statement. “We are disappointed by his decision, particularly given his obligations to the organization and his teammates. We have therefore suspended Dylan without pay.”

According to the Associated Press, Larkin was also taken off the roster.

Why was Dylan Larkin suspended?

Larkin requested a trade in the offseason, and the request became public. The AP reported that he grew frustrated by the team’s inability to move him. Earlier Thursday, coach Todd McLellan told reporters Larkin would not play against the Chicago Blackhawks at Little Caesars Arena, and said Horcoff was expected to address it. Horcoff’s statement followed a few hours later, shortly before the game.

NHL.com reported that Larkin will be held out of the lineup without pay until a trade is worked out, and wrote that he has “likely played his last game” with Detroit.

Will the Red Wings trade Larkin?

That’s the plan, but it isn’t simple. Horcoff said the team will keep exploring deals: “In addition to needing his approval, any trade must also be in the best interest of the Detroit Red Wings and support the organization’s long-term goals.”

Larkin has a full no-trade clause, according to the AP. He initially told Detroit he would accept a trade to Florida, Minnesota or Vegas, and reportedly added more teams in recent weeks. The AP said a message seeking comment was left with his agent, Pat Brisson. Larkin himself had not publicly commented in the reports we reviewed.

What is left on Larkin’s contract?

Per NHL.com and the AP:

How has Larkin played this season?

Larkin missed the preseason and the first two regular-season games with an upper-body injury. He was booed during introductions at the season opener, a 2-0 loss to the New York Rangers on Oct. 2, NHL.com reported. In his return on Oct. 6, he had a goal and an assist in a 5-3 win over the Ottawa Senators and was named the first star to a mix of boos and cheers. The AP added that he scored again Monday night in a win at Edmonton.

His 2026-27 numbers differ slightly by source: NHL.com lists two goals and four assists in 10 games, while the AP reports two goals and six assists in 10 games.

Why is Larkin no longer the Red Wings captain?

After the trade request became public, Detroit announced on Sept. 11 that Larkin would no longer serve as captain, a role he had held since Jan. 13, 2021, according to NHL.com. The Red Wings began this season without a captain.

What has Larkin meant to Detroit?

A Waterford, Michigan, native and former University of Michigan player, Larkin was Detroit’s first-round pick (No. 15 overall) in 2014. Career highlights from the two reports:

• 278 goals and 649 points in 818 regular-season games
• A career-high 34 goals last season, with at least 30 goals six times, including each of the past five seasons
• 160 goals from 2021-26, 37 more than anyone else on the Red Wings
• 10th in franchise history in goals and points, 11th in assists
• Part of the U.S. team that won Olympic gold at the Milan Cortina Games in February

His only playoff appearance came in 2016, when Detroit lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning in five games.

Where do the Red Wings stand?

Detroit was 5-4-3 and last in the Atlantic Division entering Thursday, NHL.com reported. The team has not made the playoffs since 2016, the longest active drought in the NHL. The AP noted the Red Wings recently signed Alex DeBrincat to a seven-year deal worth $13 million per season, while defenseman Simon Edvinsson remains unsigned as a restricted free agent.

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