DetroitHockeyNow’s Bob Duff notes that Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin will keep the memory of playing alongside Johnny Gaudreau close as Larkin participates in the Four Nations Face-Off:
“I think the last three USA World championships I played in, it was with Johnny,” Larkin recalled.
The two became close friends through their shared international hockey journey.
Last spring, Gaudreau sought desperately to convince Larkin to join him at the IIHF World Championship in Czechia. Requiring offseason surgery, Larkin didn’t go. At the time, he didn’t realize it would be their last chance to suit up as teammates.
“Obviously last year I wanted to go to play with him,” Larkin said. “He was probably one of the big reasons they had a really good team going over there. And he called me and said, ‘let’s play one more.’ And we’re getting to a different stage in our lives with kids. So it was hard not to be there and have to sit at home and have surgery.”
Continued; Team USA has a Gaudreau jersey in their locker room, and Gaudreau’s father, Guy, took part in one of Team USA’s practices earlier this week.
