There is just something different about watching one of your own score on the Olympic stage.

Dylan Larkin, captain of the Detroit Red Wings, put Team USA on the board during a massive quarterfinal matchup against Sweden in the men’s hockey tournament at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics.

The Red Wings captain found the back of the net in the second period, finishing off a setup from Jack Hughes and Quinn Hughes. Larkin’s goal pulled the Americans closer to punching their ticket to the next round, where Canada had already stormed in after beating Czechia earlier in the day. (No pressure.) Larkin got the better of Swedish netminder Jacob Markstrom.

Team USA came into the quarterfinal undefeated in preliminary play, going 3 and 0 to top Group C. The Americans handled Latvia 5 to 1, Denmark 6 to 3 and Germany 5 to 1. Sweden finished third in Group B with a 2 and 0 record, then advanced after a 5 to 1 win over Latvia in the qualification playoffs. So this was never going to be easy.

There has been real pressure on this American squad to avoid a disappointing early exit. Instead, it was a Red Wing who got things up and running.

The 29 year old center has long been the heartbeat of the Detroit Red Wings, and now he is delivering on one of the biggest stages in sports. Social media lit up almost instantly after the goal, with fans from Michigan to Milan celebrating the moment. Because when a Detroit Red Wing scores in the Olympics, it feels like the whole state scores with him.

Now the focus shifts to what comes next. Team USA has advanced to the semi-finals and play Friday at 3:10pm EST versus Slovakia.

Every Sweater Number in Detroit Red Wings History Worn Just Once (Or Not At All)

For whatever reason, these numbers have either been worn just once or never at all in the nearly 100-year history of Detroit Red Wings hockey, according to Hockey Reference.

(Hockey Reference suggests that No. 6 was only worn by Cummy Burton, which is incorrect as Larry Aurie wore the number first and the number is pseudo-retired. Such inaccuracies are difficult to narrow down, so where they can be corrected they will be.)

Gallery Credit: Jacob Harrison