Detroit Red Wings
Red Wings Captain Larkin Finishes Second-Last In Fastest Skater
History repeated itself during Dylan Larkin’s second participation in the NHL Fastest Skater competition. Unfortunately for the Detroit Red Wings captain, not in the way he would’ve enjoyed seeing things unfold.
In 2016, Larkin won the fastest skater event at the NHL All-Star Game at Bridgestone in Nashville. Playing in his first midseason classic, Larkin blazed around the ice in a record time of 13.172 seconds.
😱 pic.twitter.com/8Yyj5SRIeN
— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) February 5, 2022
Friday night at T-Mobile Arena, home of the Vegas Golden Knights, it was St. Louis Blues forward Jordan Kyrou who made his first NHL All-Star Game a memorable experience. The young Blues speedster ripped around the rink to turn a lap in a span of 13.550 seconds to win the Fastest Skater Competition, the opening event of the NHL Skills Competition.
Los Angeles Kings forward Adrian Kempe finished second in a time of 13.585 seconds. He was the second skater among the eight to turn a lap. Chris Kreider of the New York Rangers opened the event with a lap of 13.664 seconds, earning him the third spot on the podium.
Red Wings Larkin Clips Boards
As for Larkin, he was the fifth skater in the pecking order. He came out of the last turn wide and appeared to clip the boards. His finishing time of 14.116 seconds left him a distant seventh.
“There’s no preparation,” Larkin told the NHL Network. “You just gotta try to do your best.”
"Oh, I'm nervous."
Can @Dylanlarkin39 win the title of Fastest Skater?@DetroitRedWings | #NHLAllStar pic.twitter.com/OHDtNPOOJA
— NHL Network (@NHLNetwork) February 5, 2022
Larkin and last-place finisher Evgeny Kuznetsov of the Washington Capitals (14.559) were the only skaters who failed to crack the 14-second barrier.
Expectations were that this event would prove to be a showdown between Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Maker and Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid but that wasn’t how it played out at all.
Makar’s time of 13.834 seconds left him in fifth place, one position ahead of McDavid. The last of the eight skaters to turn a lap, McDavid – a three-time champion of the Fastest Skater competition in 2017-18-19 – finished fourth in a time of 13,690 seconds.
Larkin will play in the second NHL All-Star Game of his career on Saturday.