Dylan Larkin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dylan Larkin
Larkin with the United States in 2016
Born	(1996-07-30) July 30, 1996 (age 28) Waterford, Michigan, U.S.
Height	6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight	190 lb (86 kg; 13 st 8 lb)
Position	Center
Shoots	Left
NHL team	Detroit Red Wings
National team	United States
NHL Draft	15th overall, 2014 Detroit Red Wings
Playing career	2015–present

Dylan Larkin was born on July 30, 1996. He is an American professional ice hockey player. He is also the captain of the Detroit Red Wings team in the National Hockey League (NHL). The Red Wings picked Larkin as the 15th player overall in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft.

Before becoming a professional, Larkin played college hockey for the University of Michigan. There, he was named the best new player, called the Freshman of the Year. He was also chosen for the All-Freshman Team, the All-Big Ten First Team, and the Second Team All-American.

Playing Career

Larkin started playing minor ice hockey with Detroit Belle Tire. He even played in the 2009 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with his team.

Junior Hockey Years

During the 2012–13 season, Larkin played for USA Hockey's U17 team. This was his first year with the USA Hockey National Team Development Program in Ann Arbor. He scored 13 goals and made 14 assists in 55 games. Larkin also helped the USA team win first place at the 2012 Four Nations Tournament in Switzerland. He scored one goal and one assist there.

In the 2013–14 season, Larkin played for the NTDP's U18 team. He was second on the team with 31 goals and fourth with 56 points in 60 games. Larkin also played in the 2013 CCM/USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game. He scored a goal and an assist in that game.

Before the 2014 NHL Draft, Larkin was ranked 17th among North American skaters by the NHL Central Scouting Bureau. The Detroit Red Wings then picked him 15th overall in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft.

College Hockey Years

Larkin began his college career with the Michigan Wolverines in the 2014–15 season. He was named the best new college hockey player for January. Larkin led all college freshmen with 14 points (seven goals and seven assists) in six games that month. He was second overall in the nation for points per game.

Larkin scored points in every game during January. He had an eight-game streak where he scored eight goals and 10 assists. His average of 1.43 points per game was the second best for a Michigan freshman in 60 years. On January 16, 2015, Larkin had his best night with five points (two goals and three assists) in a 10–6 win against Ohio State. He was the first Michigan freshman to get five points in a game since 1997.

Larkin (left) and teammate Zach Hyman playing for Michigan in February 2015

On February 24, 2015, Larkin was named the Big Ten First Star of the Week. He scored a goal and three assists in a 5–2 win against Ohio State on February 22. Larkin led all Big Ten freshmen with 43 points (15 goals and 28 assists). He was the first Michigan freshman to reach 40 points since 2007–08.

Larkin was also third in the nation for freshman scoring. He was named the Big Ten's Freshman of the Year for 2014–15. He was also chosen for the Big Ten All-Freshman Team and the All-Big Ten First Team. He was also named an AHCA Second Team All-American.

During the 2015 Big Ten Men's Ice Hockey Tournament, Larkin scored one goal and three assists. This broke the record for most points in a single Big Ten Tournament game.

Professional Hockey Career

On May 21, 2015, Larkin signed a three-year contract with the Detroit Red Wings. This meant he would not play his last three years at the University of Michigan. He was sent to the Red Wings' minor league team, the Grand Rapids Griffins.

Larkin played his first game for the Grand Rapids Griffins on May 24, 2015. This was during the Western Conference finals. In his second game, on May 25, Larkin scored his first professional goal against Jacob Markström.

Larkin with the Red Wings during a preseason game, September 2015

On October 5, 2015, Larkin made the Red Wings' main team for the 2015–16 season. He was the first 19-year-old to start on opening night since 1990. In his first NHL game on October 9, 2015, Larkin got his first NHL point (an assist) and his first NHL goal. He was the first Red Wings teenager to score in his first NHL game since Steve Yzerman in 1983.

On November 21, Larkin scored a goal for the fourth game in a row. He was the first Red Wings teenager to do this since Steve Yzerman in 1984–85. Larkin was named the NHL Rookie of the Month for November 2015. He led all new players with seven goals in 13 games that month. He also led all rookies with 10 goals and a +14 plus/minus rating.

On March 24, 2016, Larkin took his 200th shot of the season. He became only the fifth Red Wings rookie to do this.

Larkin was chosen to play in the 2016 NHL All-Star Game. He was the first Red Wings rookie to play in the All-Star Game since Yzerman in 1984. At the NHL All-Star Game SuperSkills Competition, he set a new NHL record for the fastest skater. He finished in 13.172 seconds, breaking Mike Gartner's record from 1996.

In his first season, Larkin scored 23 goals and 22 assists in 80 games. He was the sixth rookie in the team's history to lead the team in goals. He also led the Red Wings with a +11 plus/minus rating, 221 shots on goal, and five game-winning goals. He was named the 2016 Detroit Red Wings Rookie of the Year.

After his first season, Larkin played both winger and center. His second year was not as strong, as he finished the 2016–17 season with 17 goals and a minus-28 rating.

Larkin (centre foreground) with the puck in a game against the Chicago Blackhawks, January 2018

During the 2017–18 season, Larkin led the Red Wings in scoring. He had 16 goals and 47 assists in 82 games. He was the fifth-youngest player in the team's history to lead them in scoring. On August 10, 2018, he signed a new five-year contract with the Red Wings.

On January 13, 2021, the Red Wings named Larkin their team captain. Larkin led the NHL in scoring with five goals and seven points in three games. On December 18, 2021, he scored his first career hat-trick (three goals in one game). He was then named the NHL First Star of the Week.

Larkin was chosen for the 2023 National Hockey League All-Star Game. He helped the Atlantic Division win their first 3-on-3 title. He scored five goals and one assist in two games, including a hat trick in the final game. He was then named the NHL's Second Star of the Week. On March 1, 2023, the Red Wings signed Larkin to an eight-year contract. In the first year of this contract, Larkin scored a career-high 33 goals and 36 assists in 68 games. He had surgery after an injury late in the 2023–24 season and spent the offseason recovering.

Personal Life

Dylan Larkin has an older brother named Colin. Colin also played hockey and signed a contract with the Edmonton Oilers. Dylan's cousins, Adam, Ryan, and Woodser, also play hockey. Adam played defense for Yale University. Ryan plays goalie for Miami University.

In 2016, Larkin, his brother, and cousins started the Larkin Hockey School. It is at Lakeland Ice Arena in Waterford Township, Michigan. They did this to help out their community.

International Play

Medal record
Representing  United States
Ice hockey
World Championships
Bronze	2015 Czech Republic
Bronze	2018 Denmark
World U18 Championships
Gold	2014 Finland
World U-17 Hockey Challenge
Bronze	2013 Canada

Larkin played for the United States at the 2013 World U-17 Hockey Challenge. He won a bronze medal there. He was the third-highest scorer for the United States, with two goals and five assists in six games.

Larkin also played for the United States at the 2014 IIHF World U18 Championships. He was an alternate captain and won a gold medal. He scored two goals and two assists in six games.

He played for the United States at the 2015 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. He was the team's top scorer, with five goals in five games. He was named one of Team USA's top three players in the tournament.

Larkin represented the United States at the 2015 IIHF World Championship. He got one assist in ten games and won a bronze medal. He was important for the team's penalty killing.

Larkin played for the United States at the 2016 IIHF World Championship. He scored two goals and seven assists in ten games. He also played for Team North America at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, getting one assist in two games.

He was an alternate captain for the United States at the 2017 IIHF World Championship. He was the team's second-highest scorer, with two goals and eight assists in eight games. The next year, he played for the United States at the 2018 IIHF World Championship. He was again an alternate captain, scoring three goals and six assists in ten games and winning another bronze medal.

On April 19, 2019, Larkin played for Team USA again at the 2019 IIHF World Championship in Slovakia.

Career Statistics

Regular Season and Playoffs

International Play Statistics

Year	Team	Event	Result		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2013	United States	U17			6	2	5	7	6
2014	United States	U18			6	2	2	4	2
2015	United States	WJC	5th		5	5	2	7	4
2015	United States	WC			10	0	1	1	6
2016	United States	WC	4th		10	2	7	9	8
2016	Team North America	WCH	5th		2	0	1	1	2
2017	United States	WC	5th		8	2	8	10	6
2018	United States	WC			10	3	6	9	8
2019	United States	WC	7th		7	3	2	5	4
Junior totals					17	9	9	18	12
Senior totals					47	10	25	35	34

Awards and Achievements