Dylan Larkin sat down on a Delta regional jet Sunday for a short flight to Montreal and his latest chance to throw on that sharp, dark blue USA sweater.
A game against Finland was still four days away, but the Detroit Red Wings captain couldn’t help but look ahead to next Saturday night.
Team Canada. Bell Centre. Saturday night,” Larkin said, shaking his head. “Can’t wait. Gives ya goosebumps.”
Sitting in Seat 2A, Larkin told a story about the first time he ever played at the Bell Centre against Canada. It was New Year’s Eve 2014 in the 2015 World Junior Championship, where he shared the tournament lead with five goals.
“But we skated out before the game against Canada, and it was just a sea of red,” Larkin recalled. “It was my first time playing in a sold-out NHL building, and I’ll never forget that. It was very intimidating at the time. But I think now that I’ve got some experience playing in front of a big crowd, it won’t be as intimidating.”
Read more from The Athletic’s Michael Russo on Larkin’s impactful performance below.
GO FURTHER
How Dylan Larkin lifted Team USA to its first best-on-best win over Canada since 2010
