It was a scary sight in Motor City on Saturday, as Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin was knocked unconscious during the team's loss to the Senators.
Larkin left Detroit's 5-1 defeat to Ottawa after taking two hits simultaneously to the head, and did not return. The team did not give any indication as to what the injury might be.
Saturday night was supposed to be a night of celebration for the Red Wings, as newly signed star Patrick Kane was making his long-awaited return to the ice after offseason hip surgery. However, the Detroit faithful at Little Caesars Arena were left in stunned silence watching their captain lay motionless on the ice.
The Red Wings have been a pleasant surprise this season, and Larkin has played a major role in that. The Detroit center has been a point-per-game player for the Winged Wheel, recording 11 goals and 25 points in 24 games.
MORE: Why Patrick Kane signed with the Red Wings
Here are the latest injury updates on Larkin:
What is Dylan Larkin's injury?
Detroit head coach Derek Lalonde spoke to the media on Monday, but he did not have any update on Larkin other than he was going to be going on injured reserve.
An update on Dylan Larkin. pic.twitter.com/JxRBaFgxzz
— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) December 11, 2023
"I think we'll know more as time goes on," Lalonde. "I think it was a positive — to see him down unconscious, what goes through your head is his past history and to see him go off the ice with some assistance and not through the stretcher, it was a positive. We will know more in a few days."
Lalonde did not say what the exact injury was when asked if Larkin suffered a concussion, stating that assessing the injury is "not his category" but he will be listed on IR with a "upper-body injury."
"I talked to him last night, he seemed to be on good spirits," Lalonde said. "It's a lot, it's been pretty overwhelming. Heavy in a lot of ways."
ESPN's Kevin Weekes reported on Sunday that all the scans on Larkin came back negative (clear). Lalonde did not provide any additional information from that report.
Larkin has a history of head and neck injuries. In April of 2021, he suffered a season-ending neck injury after he was cross-checked from behind by Star captain Jamie Benn. Larkin was forced to wear a cervical hard collar for eight weeks while he recovered from the injury.
How long is Dylan Larkin out?
Larkin was placed on injured reserve on Monday retroactive to Saturday. Any player placed on IR is ineligible to compete in games for a period of no less than seven days.
According to Lalonde, Larkin currently does not have a timeline for his return.
Dylan Larkin injury update
Larkin was hurt with 6:10 to play in the first period between the Red Wings and the Senators. During a battle in front of Ottawa's net, Larkin was sandwiched between two Senators, taking contact both to the front and back of the head.
First, Senators forward Mathieu Joseph appeared to cross check Larkin in the back of the head, causing the Detroit center to fall forward. As Larkin was leaning over, Senators forward Parker Kelly ran into him as well, hitting him in the face with his stick.
Scary scene as Dylan Larkin lays motionless after a headshot from Joseph... he ends being helped off the ice. Hope he's okay.
— Everyday Sens (@EverydaySens) December 10, 2023
David Perron then cross-checks Zub directly in the face. Should be ejected. pic.twitter.com/ym9MANIyNZ
Dylan Larkin skated off the ice on his own power after a taking a hit from Parker Kelly pic.twitter.com/760klYQhL1
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) December 10, 2023
Larkin lay motionless on the ice for a couple of minutes as he was attended to by the training staff. He eventually got up and left the ice under his own power, grabbing at his head.
"It’s scary for everybody in the rink when you see somebody unconscious," Detroit defenseman Ben Chiarot said after the game. "Hard to watch, especially when it’s your friend and captain. Scary for his family when you see someone down like that. A lot of different emotions."
Joseph and Kelly each were handed two-minute minors for roughing, while Red Wings forward David Perron was assessed a match penalty for intent to injure as a result of cross-checking Senators defenseman Artem Zub after seeing Larkin on the ice.
"It’s a really tough look seeing him passed out on the ice, unconscious," Lalonde said. "The refs probably did the right thing in taking the five-minute call in order to be able to review it and communicate extremely well. They probably did a really good job with that situation, all considering.