Detroit Red Wings Captain Dylan Larkin Calls Out The NHL Player Safety Department
It's about time someone spoke up. Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin addressed the media today for the first time since being officially cleared to return to play after suffering a concussion last week.
Larkin commented on the recent trend in the league, particularly in the past week, describing it as eye-opening and a highlight for player safety. He emphasized the difficulty players face in feeling safe on the ice and knowing how to protect themselves due to these inconsistencies.
"The last week in the league has been pretty eye-opening," Larkin told Max Bultman of The Athletic. "It's been kind of a trend - this last week has been a highlight for player safety. As a player, I'm obviously closely attached because I just went through something, but I've talked to guys on our team, guys from other teams, and it's hard to feel safe out there. It's hard to know how to protect yourself."
Larkin specifically addressed his own situation, expressing concern and questioning who is ensuring the players protection in such incidents.
"This instance, watching it back, I wasn't really doing anything," Larkin said. "I just was trying to make a play on the puck and just standing there, really. How do you protect yourself? Who's protecting you? There's a lot of (unanswered questions) in our sport right now."
This direct criticism of George Parros and the NHL for the way they are handling these situations raises the question of whether Larkin might face a fine for calling out the league and its Department of Player Safety.
