Red Wings' Larkin nervous heading into 3-on-3 tournament
The NHL All-Star Game is not like any other game, especially to Detroit Red Wings rookie Dylan Larkin.
Larkin, participating in this weekend's All-Star festivities, is feeling the pressure of being on such a big stage in just his first season in the league.
"I feel more nervous than I would for an actual game," Larkin said, according to NHL.com's Dan Rosen. "I don't really know many guys and I don't really know what's going on."
The 19-year-old leads the Red Wings with 15 goals and shares the team scoring lead with captain Henrik Zetterberg with 33 points. Despite a few butterflies, Larkin remains ecstatic about his All-Star selection and is learning a lot from observing the game's top talent.
"Just to be here is awesome, especially as a young guy to see all these guys, how they handle themselves with the media and how they represent themselves in public," Larkin said. "It's just really cool, special to me to be a part of this. I grew up watching most of these guys."
However, eyes will shift his way come Saturday night when Larkin competes in the Fastest Skater event at the All-Star Skills Competition.