Red Wings Captain Larkin Apprehensive About Olympics

As COVID-19 is continuing the cut a swath through NHL lineups, naturally it was the main topic of discussion among Detroit Red Wings players.

One subject that was raised is whether it’s wise for the NHL players to be going to the Beijing Winter Olmypics in February. China’s COVID protocols include a government-mandated five-week quarantine for anyone who tests positive for the virus while in the country. That would mean any player who submitted a positive test would be required to stay behind in China. They would be quarantining while the NHL schedule was resuming.

Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin is almost a certainty to be selected to Team USA. He was asked about participating in the Olympic Games next year. While Larkin didn’t come out and say he’d rather not go, he also never suggested that he was plannng to participate, either.

“There’s a lot going on right now,” Larkin said. “We’re dealing with COVID here. We had calls and talks.

“You guys read the reports of what it could be like in China. It’s unfortunate but it is what it is. I don’t have much to say about it.

“It would be unfortunate for anyone to get stuck in quarantine for that long and a serious unknown of when you’d come home. I think it’s unfortunate for all athletes.”

Two Red Wings Entering COVID-19 PROTOCOL

Two Red Wings – forwards Michael Rasmussen and Robby Fabbri – were entering COVID-19 protocol on Wednesday. Six members of the Carolina Hurricanes are also in COVID-19 protocol. Despite that fact, the game between the two teams on Thursday in Raleigh will go ahead as scheduled.

UPDATE: The #RedWings have placed forwards Robby Fabbri and Michael Rasmussen in the NHL's COVID-19 protocol.

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) December 15, 2021

The NHL was also announcing on Wednesday that teams would be returning to more restrictive enhanced protocols while on road trips. These will be similar to what they were dealing with last season while working inside a modified bubble.

“We’ve been dealing with it for a couple years now,” Larkin said. “It’s unfortunate but you got to do everything you can to make sure you’re healthy and limit the spread as much as you can.

“It seems hard right now with everything that’s going on, not only in our sport but pro sports in general. It’s definitely going around. You think about the health and safety of the guys first, but you just deal with it and keep going.

“If it happens, it happens. You can’t get upset and blame anyone. You got to deal with it and try to find a way as a team, without a couple of guys, to keep moving forward.”