Dylan Larkin was crucial for Team USA’s path to a gold medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan.
He’ll soon be rejoining the Detroit Red Wings for the stretch run of the NHL season.
The question for all of the U.S. players who competed in the gold medal game in Italy on Sunday is how long it’ll be until they return to game action in the NHL.
When is Dylan Larkin coming back?
It sounds like for Larkin, it’ll be at the earliest opportunity.
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The Red Wings’ first game after the Olympic break is Thursday in Ottawa. It’s a fortunate schedule for Detroit, with 16 NHL teams resuming on Wednesday but the Red Wings getting an extra day.
Thanks to that, Larkin is expected to be available.
Detroit reporter Helene St. James wrote on X on Monday evening that Larkin is slated to play Thursday.
That’s great news for Detroit, which comes out of the break slotted third in the Atlantic Division standings.
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The 29-year old Larkin has been great this season. In 58 games, he has 51 points, broken down as 26 goals and 25 assists.
He’ll have a chance to carry in strong momentum from the Olympics, where he proved capable of timely scoring right when Team USA needed it.
The Red Wings need that now, too, and Larkin is ready to provide.


