Larkin suspended by Red Wings, won't play until traded

Dylan Larkin was suspended by the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday and has likely played his last game with the team.

The forward, who requested a trade in the offseason, will be held out of the lineup without pay until a trade is worked out, interim general manager Shawn Horcoff said in a statement. 

"Dylan Larkin has informed us that he will no longer play for the Detroit Red Wings," the statement said. "We are disappointed by his decision, particularly given his obligations to the organization and his teammates. We have therefore suspended Dylan without pay.

"We will continue to explore trade opportunities involving Dylan. 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.

"I want to thank and commend our coaches and players for their continued focus, and being committed to competing every day."

The announcement from Horcoff came a few hours after coach Todd McLellan announced Larkin would not play against the Chicago Blackhawks at Little Caesars Arena on Thursday (7:30 p.m. ET; Disney+, HULU, ESPN+, SN+).

Larkin had requested a trade this summer, which became public. The Red Wings then announced Sept. 11 that the 30-year-old forward no longer would be the team's captain, a role he had held since Jan. 13, 2021. Detroit began this season without a captain.

Larkin, who has six points (two goals, four assists) in 10 games this season, has five seasons left on an eight-year, $69.6 million contract ($8.7 million average annual value) he signed with Detroit on March 1, 2023. 

He missed the preseason and the first two regular-season games because of an upper-body injury, and was booed during introductions at Detroit's season opener, a 2-0 loss to the New York Rangers at Little Caesars Arena on Oct. 2.

He returned to play Oct. 6, turned the boos into cheers with a goal and an assist in a 5-3 win at home against the Ottawa Senators and was announced as the first star to a mix of boos and cheers.

A native of Waterford, Michigan, Larkin was chosen by Detroit in the first round (No. 15) of the 2014 NHL Draft. He has 649 points (278 goals, 371 assists) in 818 regular-season games and scored one goal in his lone Stanley Cup Playoff appearance, a five-game loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2016 Eastern Conference First Round. 

Larkin set an NHL career high with 34 goals last season, and he has scored at least 30 goals six times, including each of the past five seasons. From 2021-26, he scored 160 goals, 37 more than anyone else for Detroit. He ranks 10th in Red Wings history in goals and points and 11th in assists.

Detroit (5-4-3) is currently last in the Atlantic Division. It has not qualified for the playoffs since 2016; the 10-season drought currently is the longest in the NHL.

NHL.com columnist Nicholas J. Cotsonika contributed to this report