Detroit Red Wings fans loudly booed Dylan Larkin at Friday's season opener. Hours earlier, the team had moved its former captain to non-roster injured reserve while it decides what to do with his trade request. Larkin asked out in June. He has five years left on an eight-year, $69.6 million deal. At first, he said he'd accept a trade only to Florida, Minnesota or Vegas. The team took away his captaincy in September. The arena introduced him in street clothes, and the crowd booed. Arena staff quickly played music to drown it out. Larkin gave a brief wave. Later, some fans chanted "Sell the team!" at owner Chris Ilitch. The Rangers won 2-0. Detroit has missed the playoffs 10 straight seasons.

1. He Asked to Leave, So the Boos Are Fair

Fans who booed say Larkin quit on his team, and so does former Red Wing Darren McCarty.

Fans think he quit on them. Some fans wore Larkin jerseys with tape over the name and words like "traitor" or "loser" in its place. One sign read, "You can't be injured forever, Dylan."

Signing a long deal means you're locked in. Former Red Wings player Darren McCarty made that case on his Woodward Sports Network show in June. "I thought when he signed the long-term deal that meant I'm locked in, no matter good, bad, right, wrong, and indifferent," McCarty said. He said he had "ill will towards the player who quits on your team."

Even his coach says a trade request has consequences. Head coach Todd McLellan said Larkin has "got to live with the ramifications of asking for a trade." Larkin himself said during training camp that fans are passionate and "there's frustration there."

2. But the Team Shouldn't Have Put Him Out There

Others say the Red Wings set Larkin up, and that players should get to ask out.

The team meant to embarrass him, one analyst says. TNT analyst Paul Bissonnette, a former NHL player, called the team's decision to introduce Larkin to a booing crowd "bush league." That's according to an X post summarizing his remarks. He said Detroit was trying to embarrass Larkin and that it will hurt the team in free agency. TNT's panel said players talk to each other about this kind of thing.

His coach felt bad for him. McLellan said Larkin "wanted to be out there for the ceremony" because he's part of the team. "It's not comfortable for anybody, I feel bad for him. I do," McLellan said.

Players should get to ask out, since teams can trade them. Florida Panthers forward Brad Marchand made that point on Instagram. He was answering NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, who had criticized no-trade clauses. "I guess it's okay if a team signs you to a long-term deal and wants to trade you, but not if you want out during that term," Marchand wrote. "Broken system."

3. Still, the Real Problem Is the Owner

Fans chanting "sell the team" say ten years of losing is on Ilitch.

Ten years of losing isn't on Larkin. Federico O'Donnell of Bolavip wrote that "the Red Wings haven't gone 10 straight seasons without a playoff berth because of Larkin." One fan's sign mocked Ilitch with a to-do list. The list included hiring a general manager, signing two players and trading Larkin. The only item checked off was "Add jersey sponsor."

Fans want a new owner. Two days before the opener, a fan started a petition asking Ilitch to sell. It cited the decade without playoffs. Ilitch said in July, "Clearly, we are not where we and our fans expect to be as an organization."

The whole franchise is in a mess right now. Steve Yzerman left his job as general manager in July, and Detroit hasn't named a permanent replacement. Yardbarker's Adam Gretz called it "a brutal situation for everybody involved." He wrote, "It will probably only get uglier when Larkin actually plays a game."

Where This Lands

Some fans who booed called Larkin a traitor. McCarty says Larkin's long contract should have meant he was staying. Bissonnette says the team set out to embarrass Larkin. Marchand says players should be able to ask out, just as teams can trade them. The "sell the team" crowd says the decade of losing belongs to Ilitch, not Larkin. McLellan hopes Larkin can play Tuesday against Ottawa.

Sources