The Detroit Red Wings selected Dylan Larkin as team captain on January 13, 2021; he was a natural selection for the role in many ways. He was the team’s top scorer and grew up in the area, so he understands what it means to wear the winged wheel. After wrapping up his first full season as the franchise’s official leader, it’s time to take a look at how Larkin fared in that role and how he compares to the first season of a previous captain who now leads the franchise. candor and understands exactly what Larkin is. go through.
What it means to be an NHL captain
Being the team captain of an NHL franchise is a very important responsibility. The role on the ice is easily defined by the rights granted to the team captain in the NHL rulebook. Rule 6.1 states: “A captain shall be appointed by each team and he alone shall have the privilege of discussing with the referee any question relating to the interpretation of the rules which may arise during a match. He will wear the letter “C”, approximately three inches in height and in a contrasting color, prominently displayed on the front of his jersey. »
The other aspects of the position are not as easy to define. Typically, the team captain manages on-ice leadership by example and manages the different personalities in the locker room to keep everyone working towards victory, which should be the ultimate goal of every team. The captain is considered the team leader, responsible to the media and in most cases the public face of the franchise as well as a link between the coach and the players. Rightly or wrongly, the captain will face the brunt of criticism when teams perform poorly and receive much of the glory and accolades when the team achieves success and wins the Stanley Cup.
Larkin named 37th team captain
Drafted by the Red Wings with the 15th selection in the 2014 draft from the University of Michigan, he had all the feelings of a hometown hero in the making. Growing up in suburban Detroit, Larkin grew up a Red Wings fan and when he was selected to be team captain on January 13, 2021, he understood his importance, as he was named the 37th team captain in franchise history.
In his first full season as captain, Larkin proved he was up for the task. He performed very well, scoring 31 goals and 69 points in 71 games with 0.97 PPG before core muscle surgery ended his season. (from: ‘Red Wings’ Dylan Larkin out for remainder of season after undergoing core muscle surgery,’ Athleticism, April 18, 2022). It was a major rebound season for Larkin after two mediocre seasons where he produced 19 goals and 34 assists in 71 games, 0.75 PPG in 2019-20, and just nine goals and 14 assists in 44 games played in 2020 – 21, which was only 0.52 PPG.
Yzerman named the youngest captain in franchise history
Yzerman broke into the league and had a fantastic rookie season, scoring 39 goals and 87 points in the 1982-83 season, finishing second in voting the Calder Trophy for Rookie of the Year to Tom Barrasso. After posting a 30-goal season in his second year as a professional, Yzerman suffered a broken collarbone in his third season that limited him to 59 games. Most people forget that Yzerman wasn’t named Red Wings captain until the start of his fourth season. At the start of the 1986–87 season, he became the youngest player to be named Red Wings captain at age 21.
Early in his career, Yzerman was overshadowed in the NHL by two of the greatest players of all time, Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux. In his first season as captain, the Red Wings finished with a 34-36-10 record, which was good for 78 points in 1986-87 — a 38-point improvement over the previous season. They finished second in the Norris Division and ended up losing to the Edmonton Oilers in the Campbell Conference Finals.
Become a Red Wings captain in tough times
The team’s success or lack thereof, by the time each was made captain, is eerily similar. Yzerman entered a franchise that was just bought by Mike Ilitch in 1982. They were coming out of an era when they were known as “Dead Wings”. Between the 1970-71 and 1976-77 seasons, the team went through seven coaches and three general managers. They were struggling so much during this time that new owner Mike Illitch had to donate cars to try and help get fans back into the building. Before Yzerman joined the franchise, they only made the playoffs twice between the years of 1967 and 1983.
Currently, the Red Wings are on a six-season streak without making the playoffs. Their last appearance was in 2016, which ironically was Larkin’s rookie season. After a streak of 25 straight playoff appearances that also ended in 2016, a franchise decline was inevitable. At least they’ve been stable under Illitch family ownership and a smooth management transition between former chief executive Ken Holland and Yzerman.
Help is on the way?
Yzerman, as great a player as he was, needed significant help from others before he could finally lift the Stanley Cup in 1997. He needed input from players such as Nick Lidstrom, Brendan Shanahan, Sergei Fedorov and many more. others. He changed his game from one of the most dynamic point producers of the 1980s to a true 200-foot defensive player who set an example for everyone else on the team, as coach demanded. Scotty Bowman.
Larkin has received a glimpse of help this season with the emergence of rookies Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond. Jakub Vrana has also emerged as a potential 40-goal threat, and they are set to be joined soon by other promising signings led by top defensive prospect Simon Edvinsson, who has signed his entry-level three-year contract. Help is also expected to come with a new coach shortly after the sacking of Jeff Blashill, who was the only coach Larkin played for in his seven seasons in the league; the Red Wings have struggled in their own end with a -82 goal differential this season.
Related: 4 Reasons the Red Wings Missed the 2022 Playoffs
Building a championship roster in the current NHL salary cap environment is a tall order. Thankfully, Yzerman has accomplished this task successfully in the past during his stint as general manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning, who are currently the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions. Larkin is fortunate, at the age of 25, to still have the best of his career ahead of him and a general manager who has literally been on his “skates”.
Yzerman and Larkin, as players and captains, enjoyed individual success as point producers and struggled with injuries while dealing with the pressure of being the face of one of the NHL’s storied franchises. . Maybe one day their similar experiences and passion for success will once again lead them to playoff success in Detroit and another championship celebration one day in the Motor City.
Rob Klein grew up in suburban Detroit, Michigan, playing pond hockey every winter and watching Hockey Night in Canada on CBC every Saturday. Finally being able to see his Red Wings win the Stanley Cup in 1997 was his greatest moment in the NHL. As an NHL fan for over 40 years, he has been able to follow many great teams and appreciate the history of this great game as well as the remarkable talent playing today.
