(WXYZ) — Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin was brought to tears while discussing the Tyler Bertuzzi trade on Thursday.
He spoke to the media Thursday morning, one day after he signed an 8-year extension and just a couple of hours after Detroit traded Bertuzzi to the Boston Bruins in exchange for two draft picks.
Larkin and Bertuzzi played together since Bertuzzi was brought up to the Red Wings part-time in 2016.
“I’m surprised, yeah. The last 24 hours are one of the hardest days of the business side of it,” he said.
Larkin also said Bertuzzi was upset this morning, and he is too. Now Larkin said he has to be focused on the future.
During the press conference, Larkin said he found out about the trade on his way to practice when his fiancée called to break the news to him. He said the team had a team meeting after that trade and the Filip Hronek trade to the Vancouver Canucks.
Larkin also spoke about his new contract, an 8-year deal worth nearly $70 million. The signing keeps Larkin, who is the captain and a key part of the team's future, in his hometown for a long time.
There was a lot of controversy surrounding his contract, as fans and others were wondering whether or not it would get done before free agency. When discussing negotiations, Larkin smirked say said, “my agent probably wanted me to stop saying I wanted to stay here so much."
In the end, Larkin said he hopes this isn't the last contract of his career or in Detroit.
"I hope I’m taking a significant pay cut because we’re adding more (big-time players)," he said.
