MONTREAL — During his first 11 seasons in the NHL, Dylan Larkin had played 17 games at the Bell Centre as a member of the Detroit Red Wings.
His 18th visit to Montreal, however, was markedly different.
As one of Detroit’s star players, Larkin is accustomed to being on the receiving end of boos from opposing fanbases. On Saturday, however, the 30-year-old was met with applause from the Bell Centre faithful, followed by chants of “We Want Larkin” from a crowd hoping to persuade the disgruntled Red Wings forward to consider a future with the Canadiens.
“It was interesting,” Larkin said. “I never would have imagined that in this building and in my career. They are passionate fans.”
Larkin was cheered by Canadiens fans during the pre-game warm-up, drawing applause as he was the last player to leave the ice. While the reception quieted once the game got underway, the “We Want Larkin” chants continued throughout Montreal’s 1-0 shootout victory.
For Larkin, the experience was still sinking in when he met with the media moments after the game.
“It’s still raw,” he said. “I was in the game and in the moment and I haven’t put too much thought into it. I was pretty focused on a good hockey game, a tight-checking game and a game where we came up a shot short.”
Larkin has been making headlines in Montreal and across the hockey world since requesting a trade from Detroit in June. The request followed years of mounting frustration, including public criticism of management over its lack of activity at the 2025 trade deadline, when Detroit was pushing for a playoff spot.
Larkin was also recently stripped of his captaincy, a title he had held since 2021.
His teammates have worked to ensure the uncertainty surrounding the veteran forward does not define their season.
“Once we got to training camp and got going as a team, one that Larks (Larkin) is absolutely a part of, we kind of put that aside,” said Lucas Raymond. “Everyone in here is driven toward the same thing and that’s coming out there to play good hockey and win hockey games and doing that together as a team.”
Head coach Todd McLellan acknowledged that the ongoing situation has inevitably created distractions, even as the organization tries to shield its players.
“Our internal group, the guys that wear the uniforms, coaches, trainers, have done a real good job of shielding each other as much as they can and focusing on getting prepared to play,” McLellan said.
“I’d be lying if I said everything going on wasn’t a distraction, but we have a responsibility to each other to focus on what we can control and that’s what we do.”
Despite Steve Yzerman’s transition from general manager to senior adviser and Shawn Horcoff’s appointment as interim GM, Larkin has not publicly rescinded his trade request.
He has, however, continued to honour his contract and suit up for Detroit.
After missing the Red Wings’ first two games with an upper-body injury, Larkin returned to the lineup Tuesday against the Ottawa Senators and scored in a 5-3 Detroit victory, though not before being greeted by a chorus of boos from the home crowd.
While the jeers softened following his first-period goal, the reception underscored the strained relationship between the forward and fans who have watched the team miss the playoffs for 10 consecutive seasons.
Saturday’s friendlier chants, meanwhile, were part of a broader effort by Montreal supporters to convince the Waterford, Mich., native to add their city to his list of preferred trade destinations.
Larkin has a full no-trade clause under the eight-year, $69.6-million contract he signed in March 2023, giving him control over where he could be moved. Five seasons remain on the deal, which carries an average annual value of $8.7 million.
Larkin has reportedly submitted a list of teams he would be willing to join, none of them based in Canada.
He declined to speculate after Saturday’s game about whether Montreal’s reception had prompted him to reconsider, instead pointing to the city’s unique hockey atmosphere.
“I’m not going to go there because I am on this team,” said Larkin. “We just played against Montreal. I think The Athletic’s poll around the league have this building ranked pretty high, so I’m not the only guy that feels that way about playing here.”
For Larkin, the focus remained on the game itself rather than the attention surrounding his future. Playing the second half of a back-to-back against a quality opponent, he credited his teammates for their effort amid the distractions.
“I don’t have any control over that tonight,” Larkin said. “I give the guys in here a lot of credit. We played hard tonight and on a back-to-back and a game where we needed the results against a good team, we dove into the work. We did a good job working tonight and working together.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 10, 2026.
Jordan Stoopler, The Canadian Press