After helping Team USA capture Olympic gold in dramatic fashion, Dylan Larkin returned to Detroit Red Wings practice this week as the NHL season resumes in Ottawa. While the gold medal is still fresh, the 29-year-old captain made it clear his sights are already set on an even bigger prize.
“You get a taste of winning and how special that is, and you check a massive box with the gold medal,” Larkin said via the Detroit News. “The Stanley Cup would be next and that would be unbelievable. You guys know how much it would mean to do it in this city.”
Dylan Larkin Red Wings
A Whirlwind Few Days for the Red Wings Captain
Sunday’s 2–1 overtime win over Canada in the Olympic gold-medal game capped an unforgettable stretch for Larkin. He was on the ice for the winning goal, scored by Jack Hughes, then spent the following days celebrating, traveling, and even touring the White House before finally returning home to Detroit late Tuesday night.
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Only then did the magnitude of the moment truly sink in.
“(I) didn’t really understand the impact wholly until we got home,” Larkin said. “Just to see the reception we got from people on the streets, people coming up to us, it was just truly unlike I’ve ever experienced, and it makes you proud.
I’m proud of the group of guys and what we accomplished.”
The gold medal itself is already tucked away.
Larkin joked that it’s stored in a “secret, safe place,” but what resonated most with him was how deeply Michigan hockey was woven into the Olympic run.
Michigan Roots Shine on the Olympic Stage
All four players on the ice for the men’s gold-medal overtime goal had Michigan connections. On the women’s side, Farmington Hills native Megan Keller scored the overtime winner to secure gold as well — a moment Larkin said the men’s team celebrated just as passionately.
“Incredible, it truly is,” Larkin said. “Just a few nights before, Megan Keller scoring the game-winning goal, we were in the village watching them all as a team and we celebrated that one just as hard as we did when we won.
It was a really special couple weeks for Michigan hockey and USA hockey and we’re proud to represent our great state.”
The captain is back. The stakes are high. And for Larkin, the next dream is clear.
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