12:33 pm: Head coach Jeff Blashill reports that Larkin’s absence from most of practice was indeed due to the Joseph hit. Blashill notes that Larkin will “see some people today,” likely meaning the team will issue an update tonight or tomorrow.
10:50 am: Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin will have a Department of Player Safety hearing Friday for roughing the Tampa Bay Lightning’s Mathieu Joseph, the league announced.
The play originated with Joseph making a controversial hit on Larkin into the boards, which caused Larkin to fall. Larkin’s hearing generates from when he got back up from the fall, immediately punching an unsuspecting Joseph, who fell to the ice.
Referees assessed Joseph a roughing penalty on the play, while Larkin was assessed a match penalty and removed from the game. He finished the night with a goal and a +3 rating. It was an unexpectedly chaotic home opener for the Red Wings, who fell 7-6 to the Lightning in overtime after entering the last ten minutes of the third period with a 6-3 lead.
MLive.com’s Ansar Khan reports that Larkin made a brief appearance at the Red Wings’ practice this morning, but promptly left the ice. It’s unclear at this time whether this has to do with the timing of the hearing or if Larkin suffered any injury on the play.
And will Joseph have a hearing as well? His dirty cheap shot was uncalled for. I applaud Larkin for fighting back
Joseph rams Larkin head-first into the glass, but as of this moment there has been no mention of him being disciplined. Hmmm…more bad optics for the league and DoPS.
Larkin is not a dirty player. He plays hard though. For him to punch Joseph is proof it was a dirty initiation. But then again, the league and Bettman loves Tampa Bay, right?
Reffing was a joke that game. Joseph got a roughing(???) penalty on his right in the numbers and head into the boards push of Larkin and Larkin got a match penalty so DET played shorthanded and let 2 in then lost in OT. Great, now ban Larkin for 10gms. Joke. 0 consistency
To everyone trying to compare Joseph’s boarding (an unfortunate but regular part of a fast paced game) and Larkin’s sucker punch, the sucker punch is a lot worse. I hate both teams but c’mon there’s no place in hockey for sucker punches. Don’t like a hit Larkin? Get up and challenge the guy to a fight, if he refuses, get your revenge in a legal way later in the game. You just don’t blindside punch a guy.
Sure get up and challenge the guy… when your neck is effin broken. By the guy you mean that Joseph turtle? Larkin challenging a turtle would be a show not to miss!
Fine then one of Larkin’s teammate should have given Joseph an offer he couldn’t refuse. If Larkin was too hurt to fight where are his teammates? Still clearly was healthy enough to throw a sucker punch to an unsuspecting player, the league will always come down harsh on that.
@Hannibal8us – “an unfortunate but regular part of a fast paced game” That’s very true. The thing is, it isn’t supposed to be a regular part of the game, since the league instructs every team that if the guy’s number are in front of you, don’t. Don’t follow through and blast him head-first into the boards, dasher, or glass. DO, either come in at an angle, bear-hug him, or peel off and intercept the pass. Boarding a guy who can’t properly defend himself against the hit really constitutes another version of a sucker punch. With Eichel’s situation, we might see more players resort to Larkin’s response, as their first retaliatory measure, then dropping the gloves. They don’t want to be the next guy who could be subjected to a potential career-ending injury.
Clearly Larkin was in the right he should’ve Kolkata son of a bitch and he did it’s not part of the game it was an accidental it was intentional to run and Larkin into the boards like that the guy got what he had coming Despite the NHL’s efforts hockey is a contact sport
Joseph didn’t even hit Larkin hard enough to warrant more than a minor penalty and Larkin sucker punched him which is way more dangerous. Idk why everyone is on Larkins side