'It was way more fun winning it'

SUNRISE, Fla. -- With a crowd of reporters and cameras clustered around his stall in the dressing room at FLA Live Arena on Saturday night, Dylan Larkin held up a Detroit Red Wings t-shirt - which he had been wearing under his 2023 NHL All-Star Jersey - soaked in sweat.

"Hard work right there," the Red Wings captain said with a smile.
After recording two goals and one assist in a 10-6 win over the Metropolitan Division in the semifinals, Larkin tallied a hat trick to help the Atlantic defeat the Central Division, 7-5, in the final of the 2023 NHL All-Star Game.

"It was a great experience," said Larkin, who tied Tomas Hertl for the most goals (5 in 2020) in one day under the 3-on-3 All-Star format. "I think the (Matthew and Brady) Tkachuks led the way with the locker room talk and how we were gonna play pretty hard - and we did. It was way more fun winning it, guys scoring goals and doing what it takes. It was a great time."
Larkin kicked off his memorable weekend at All-Star Media Day on Thursday, fielding questions from reporters with Fort Lauderdale Beach and the Atlantic Ocean as his backdrop. And before arriving at FLA Live Arena for the Skills Competition on Friday, Larkin walked the red carpet while signing autographs for fans.
At the end of the red carpet, Larkin met with Maddie Shankie, the Red Wings' Learn to Play participant who was invited to South Florida for All-Star Weekend.
"It was amazing," Larkin said. "To be able to meet her was really special. She had a huge smile, and it was great to see some Red Wings gear. That's what it's all about."

Later that night, Larkin finished fourth in the Fastest Skater competition, completing the course in 14.558 seconds. Carolina Hurricanes forward Andrei Svechnikov won the event with a time of 13.757 seconds.
The Red Wings captain still holds the Fastest Skater record (13.172 seconds), which he set as a rookie in 2016.
"The Skills Competition is when we're all hanging out on the bench area," Larkin said. "We're sharing laughs, appreciating what other guys are doing out on the ice and watching their skill. It's so cool."
But after Saturday's title game, Larkin admitted he was frustrated with his performance in this year's Fastest Skater.
"I got nervous about it," Larkin said. "When I came back, someone said to me, 'You weren't trying.' But I was, so I got a little bit upset about that. I wanted to get out there, skate, be competitive and have fun doing it."

While speaking to the media over the past few days, Larkin repeatedly said how special it was to be sharing the ice with his childhood NHL idols like Pittsburgh Penguins forward Sidney Crosby and Washington Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin.
Larkin added that meeting Wayne Gretzky for the first time, who commonly is heralded as the greatest hockey player ever, was another personal highlight from this weekend.
"That was pretty unbelievable," Larkin said. "What a nice human being. He's so knowledgeable, but just the stories he has; he remembers them clear as day. It's pretty amazing because of how much hockey he's played and the detail that he can remember."
A three-time NHL All-Star, Larkin was asked if he had any advice for aspiring professional hockey players, to which he said "they gotta know that I was once a kid just like them."
"I was watching hockey every night as much as I could and idolizing those players," Larkin said. "To think that I'm out on the ice out there with them (NHL All-Stars) and sharing conversations as well as laughs, it's something I never really thought I would be doing. It's very special to me and for my family because they enjoy this as well. I'm very proud of where I've come, but it took hard work. It's not unachievable.
"I'm living proof of that."

Larkin and the Red Wings will return to action on Tuesday night for a 7:30 p.m. puck drop when Detroit hosts the Edmonton Oilers for Nurse Appreciation Night at Little Caesars Arena, which will be televised exclusively on ESPN+ and Hulu.