Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin was injured on a hit from Ottawa’s Mathieu Joseph; David Perron was ejected for a retaliatory crosscheck on Artem Zub.
Larkin, positioned in front of the Ottawa net, was hit up high by Joseph. As he fell to the ice, he was also hit by Ottawa’s Parker Kelly. Larkin lay motionless on the ice for a few minutes; he was eventually assisted to his feet and escorted off the ice.
Perron went after Sens defenseman Artem Zub, who fell on top of Larkin as he was knocked to the ice. The Detroit forward delivered a leaping cross-check to Zub’s head.
Referees Francois St. Laurent and Brandon Blandina called a major penalty and reviewed the play. After a second look, the two officials downgraded the major penalty to a minor for roughing to Joseph. Kelly was also assessed a minor.
“It was a really scary situation of [Larkin] being knocked out,” said Wings coach Derek Lalonde. “Obviously, we’re very concerned. That’s a really tough look seeing him pass out on the ice, unconscious.”
Perron picked up a match penalty for his cross-check, with the officials citing a clear intent to injure on the play. It’s important to note that this penalty was called on the ice; the officials were not able to tack on an additional penalty while reviewing the hit on Larkin.
The call on Perron fell under Rule 59:
Cross-checking [is defined as] the action of using the shaft of the stick between the two hands to forcefully check an opponent.
The Referee, at his discretion, may assess a match penalty if, in his judgment, the player attempted to or deliberately injured his opponent by cross-checking.
This is not the first time Larkin and Joseph have crossed the line with each other. Larkin received a match penalty and a one-game suspension for sucker-punching Joseph – then with the Tampa Bay Lightning – back in 2021. Larkin, returning from a lengthy absence due to a serious neck injury, was hit from behind into the boards by Joseph. The Wings forward took exception to the dangerous play, punching Joseph in the side of the head.
There’s no update on Larkin’s status. We’ll await Player Safety’s review to see if they hand out supplemental discipline.
The Ottawa Senators won the game 5-1. Referees were Francois St. Laurent (#8) and Brandon Blandina (#39) with linesmen Brad Kovachik (#71) and Jesse Marquis (#86).
