The Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan spoke with Lucas Raymond about both his experiences during the Four Nations Face-Off and his hopes to participate in the Winter Olympics in 2026:
“It makes you want [the Olympics] more,” Raymond said. “We got a small taste of it here, and just the intensity of the short tournament like this, with four games, and you take the Olympics and the same players will be there, it’ll be an unreal tournament. Everyone knows what’s at stake.”
Raymond, 22, felt he grew as a player while participating in the tournament.
“Not only the games, but just being around the guys,” Raymond said. “It feels like there’s 23 leaders in every locker room, so it’s fun to see everyone manage their games and guys speaking up.”
Raymond was excited for his linemate, Larkin, who evolved from a fourth-line player in the USA opening game, to being a top-six forward in the championship game, scoring the eventual game-winning goal against Canada in the round-robin. Larkin was expected to arrive back in Detroit Friday and will play Saturday as the Wings host Minnesota (12:30 p.m./ABC/97.1).
“Seeing how he played, it’s unreal to watch,” Raymond said. “He played great, but it’s nothing surprising. I see Dylan every day and I play with him, but to see him on the big stage, he was probably one of the best players in the tournament and definitely on his team. I’m happy for him.”
Raymond’s level of play at 4 Nations didn’t surprise coach Todd McLellan.
“His game that we see here on a regular basis transferred to that type of environment, and any time that happens, that’s a real good thing,” McLellan said. “Sometimes players go and try to do too much, or they’re afraid of the stage and they don’t want to make mistakes, so they shrivel up. That wasn’t him at all.”
