Dylan Larkin, JT Compher, Todd McLellan Practice Media | Nov. 3, 2025

Dylan Larkin, JT Compher, Todd McLellan Practice Media | Nov. 3, 2025

We talked to Jack Eel after their practice, too, just about you guys being teammates on the Four Nations team. What is it like for you to be teammates with him? How would you describe it? Yeah, it’s great. Um, we played together at the US program and and uh such a great relationship with him and and so many good memories and uh the four nations uh to see now we’re both a little bit older. We’ve been playing in the NHL. Um, you know, his success is, uh, probably no surprise to a lot of people, but, uh, to be close with him and and see it up front, see how hard he works, how dialed in dialed in he is, um, it was it was great to see, you know, and and, uh, great memory for both of us. Something I always remember is that for Nations and um you know the level of of talent and uh you know how how awesome it was hanging around the guys and and being back with Jack was was pretty special. What ways did he impact the team? Obviously you see what he can do on the ice, but how would you describe him as a leader, a player off the ice? Yeah, I mean I I was so impressed with his game and and I thought I thought uh in those close games, you know, he he really just dominated with his size and his speed and um something probably underrated about him is how well he checks and and uh something that when they won the cup here, I I watched watched a lot of those games and was was was so impressed with that and and uh he brought that to our four nations team and and uh you know, I thought he controlled games and and those were fast games and and intense games and um you know he he dictated the speed and the pace and and when he had the puck he he dictated how he wanted the game to be. How much did that overall experience of the four nations make you look forward to hopefully representing the United States again in Olympics in in February? Yeah. Uh it was again just an unbelievable experience and um it does you get the taste for that uh best on best and uh it was it was probably the most fun hockey I’ve had in my career where the the speed and intensity and um skill. You pass the puck to someone and and it’s a a superstar you’re passing to and um you don’t even have to call for the puck. It’s this the level of play was was incredible. Um, you know, there’s that side of it. Then there’s a side where uh we felt like uh losing in the the championship game was uh it wasn’t fun. You know, it left a bad taste in our mouths and feel like with that group we have unfinished business and and um be exciting to have an opportunity to try and be a part of that again. differences having action on the back end [Music] as well. Yeah, he he’s a really special player. I mean, his demeanor, how calm he is, how confident uh not cocky, but confident in his abilities. And he uh you know, he makes a mistake like we all do, he goes out there and and he elevates and he he tries to make up for it. not by doing too much, but by making a nice play, nice pass, um getting a shot through, making a good defensive play. So, I’ I’ve noticed that about him. He’s makes him I think it’s going to make him special is is uh his competitiveness and uh you know, how he he understands himself and and understands the game he wants to play. That’s my followup. I mean, it’s an incredible thing. This is his first year in North America. once he really, you know, adapts and gets activated years down the roads out more physically. Yeah, the the sky is the limit for him, honestly. I mean, um puck skills are unbelievable. He handles it. He plays he thinks like a a forward, which uh in this this NHL, today’s NHL is um you know, you look at all the the top high-end defenseman, they all are like a fourth forward out there. So, I think he has that in him and and um you know, I think he’s he’s focusing on uh playing defense and and uh you got to defend in in in this game and and uh that also says a lot about him. Looking at the road trip up to this point, obviously a lead on the road, aside from the wins, what have you liked most about the team’s game so far? Again, I think we’ve won in different ways and and I I I think that uh you know, it’s hard on the road and and there was there was question marks after our first Buffalo and New York Islander road trip and um we didn’t play well. Uh and we responded against some good teams and on a tough trip and uh I’m I’m excited that uh it wraps up in Vegas against a team like this. Uh it’s it’s going to be a huge test and um I think it’s going to be a really good hockey game and and uh hope we’re ready to go. [Music] JT, what’s made the penalty kill successful this season? Um, you know, I think it helps, uh, having a little experience with, um, you know, Todd and Yan’s system at the end of last year and, um, we talked a lot about or a lot about in summer in training camp. And, um, now I think we’re adapting better. We’re a little more comfortable being aggressive, but, we’re also adapting to what teams are trying to do to us and, um, reacting better and just kind of playing and not being like being stuck in this is my job. like you’re they always say you’re down a man so it’s going to be you’re playing two guys at one time. So, um I think that we’re adapting as teams try to do different stuff to us. As much as you can describe it, what’s different about it this year than what you guys were doing last season until? Um I would say we’re a little more aggressive and we’re more confident in it. Like when you can kill a few, especially late in games, you get a little more confidence in it. It’s like anything in the game, power play or five on five. And um I think we’re continuing to build that confidence around pen. You guys find another way to win tonight in San Jose. I guess the resiliency of this group, we’ve talked about a lot, but just being able to do it on the road. How important is that to build now that this season’s getting going here? Yeah, it’s hard to win on the road. I mean, obviously you’d like to um clean that one up in regulation, but um anytime you can get two points on the road, you can’t be too disappointed in it. gives us some stuff to look at and work on and clean up and um but yeah, it’s it’s hard to win on the road in this league and um you know, we have another big opportunity tomorrow to um keep building points on this road trip. What are the challenges of wrapping up a road trip like this against a team like Vegas? Yeah. Um really good hockey team, a lot of depth, a lot of speed. Um it’s going to be a great test for our team. Um I know we’ll be excited. We got a good little short practice today to uh make sure the legs are feeling good and um and yeah, it’s another chance to get two points on the road. Ask you your decision to break up uh sid and pier. So what mostly led into that? Just like the lines, we sometimes things get stale for for players. Um we want to discover what um different pairs will look like. I think if you remember back in camp, we thought we would be uh indecisive on how we would play them. So, it was an opportunity for us to change. Um, and that could happen at any point. Um, I think it’s more noticeable or more um I get more questions about it when it’s defenseman because there’s pairs and there’s only six of them, but uh they’re treated no different than forward ones. Does it help cuz Dylan just describes something called as a kind of forward almost. Does it help him maybe to have a guy like Ben as his partner? I think it does. Um, you know, but when they’re on the ice there, the help comes from um verbal cues. It comes from making him feel comfortable and working hard for him and with him. Uh, when he gets to the bench, he has a whole team of of players that are trying to help him. Uh, especially on the back end, there’s there’s usually four other guys sitting there with you and or three, pardon me. And um I’ve noticed that all of those guys, whether it’s Simon as a young player or uh you know, Benny as the as the senior guy back there, everybody seems to be helping Axe um you know, move on from a a bad shift and getting a pat from a good shift. Um so he has real good support system. He seems very confident. Does that help when you have to teach a 20-year-old who sometimes makes mistakes that you’re not worried he’s going to go into a shell or Yeah, he’s he’s hard on himself is the one thing. So when we’re, you know, I’ve been aggressive with him. I’ve been um kid gloved with him. Uh Jon has been excellent with him because he’s he’s working with him. He’s molding him a little bit. Uh but the one thing Axe is is water off his back. Um he doesn’t crumble. He doesn’t uh hold up. He gets determined and he wants to fix uh what was wrong and and make what was right even better. And that’s a real positive sign. In terms of Vegas, Lauren talked about embracing the challenge and facing this team down the road trip. How do you view Vegas as a team and what do you some of the things you prepare for? Well, I would view Vegas as one of the top teams in the league certainly. Um, you know, they’ve proven it for for years. They’ve seem to uh um, you know, make moves in the summer that that keep them relevant. Mitch Mner is a huge addition to them, but prior to that, Thomas Hurdle and you know, they’ve got some size. They play a well-rounded game. They don’t give up much at all. So, you’ve really got to earn your offensive opportunities and you better be alert defensively. So, um in my mind, they’re uh they’re one of the teams that could hoist the cup at the end of the year, but there’s a lot of hockey to be played. And he was also just talking about how after that first road trip in Buffalo in New York, there were some questions about the road game, but is likely more on this road trip. What have you liked about what you’re concerned at this point finishing up tomorrow in Vegas? Um, well, to this point, like sometimes I’m afraid to answer that question because the trip’s not over and it’s like we’re putting a bow on it and there’s nothing worse than that. But to this point on the trip, we’ve shown um some resiliency. Um, you know, we haven’t been leading in in very many of the games, but we’ve been able to come back and that’s a real positive, but on the other side it’s a negative. We’d like to play with the lead. Um, I think that we’ve found some players or combinations of lines that have have worked for us to this point. Um, you know, the goalenders have given us pretty good nights, so that’s a good thing. Um, you classify it as a successful trip to this point. Uh, but there’s a lot of teams in the league that will go three and two on a on a 5game road trip. You just become average if you just blend in. So, we’re going to challenge the guys to, uh, to come up with their best tomorrow, and we’ll see what happens.

Dylan Larkin, JT Compher, and Todd McLellan speak with the media following Detroit’s practice on November 3, 2025 in Vegas.