Dylan Larkin’s father talks about his son being drafted by the Red Wings

By @MichaelCaples –

PHILADELPHIA – On their draft day, the hockey spotlight shines brightly on the players hearing their names called by NHL clubs.

However, the players aren’t the only ones beaming with pride and excitement.

For Kevin and Sidney Denise Larkin, the fact that their son Dylan was drafted by their hometown Detroit Red Wings made watching him walk up on stage and accept an NHL jersey even more special.

“You would think that the NHL would be a dream but to make it even better, a hometown boy, the new arena, it’s even more exciting,” Kevin Larkin said. “I know that Dylan is very, very thrilled. He had a good feeling all day.”

The elder Larkin, who was sitting next to his wife and older son Colin (who plays in the NAHL) while Dylan walked on stage to collect his new Red Wings jersey, said his family is thrilled about the fact that Dylan’s hockey journey will stay within the state’s borders for a long time to come. Dylan will be playing for the Michigan Wolverines next fall, after spending all of his youth hockey and junior hockey (with the U.S. National Team Development Program) inside the Mitten State.

“I guess we’re getting spoiled with being local,” he said. “He played all of his youth hockey in Detroit, and now going to Michigan, and the thing that we’re really excited about with the Wings is that they don’t rush their players. So we’re excited to get a fair turn at Michigan and then they (the Wings) will advise us accordingly.”

The elder Larkin hails from Toronto; he and his siblings moved to the U.S. for college soccer (he also played Junior A hockey in Canada). Sidney Denise is a U.S. citizen. The Larkin family certainly brought a hockey pedigree with them for their Michigan-born children. Dylan Larkin’s cousins Ryan and Adam Larkin are both building their own hockey paths – Ryan is a Miami University commit, while Adam will be heading to Yale after playing for the Muskegon Lumberjacks.

When asked about Dylan’s youth hockey experiences, Kevin said that the state and national title captured with Belle Tire has Dylan ready for something bigger.

“With this boy, they won state championships, they won national championships, won a world championship with USA,” Larkin said. “It was interesting, he was like, ‘Stanley Cup next, dad.’ So what better team than with the history [of the Red Wings].”