‘It meant a little more’: Seider on Red Wings’ win after Larkin suspension

Moritz Seider didn’t shy away from the importance of the Detroit Red Wings’ 4-1 win against the Chicago Blackhawks Thursday night, just hours after the franchise suspended former captain Dylan Larkin without pay.

“It meant a little more,” Seider, who finished the night with an assist and 18:49 of ice time, told reporters after the game. “I think it came down to that this is our squad and we got a really good group in here.”

The Red Wings suspended Larkin on Thursday after he announced through his agent he would no longer play for the team and sit out until he was traded.

“It’s tough, but in the end, you just want him to be happy. If that’s not here, hopefully it’s somewhere else,” Seider said. “It’s kind of hard to put that player aspect aside and just see it as a friend, but ultimately, that’s my goal: him being happy and us being competitive.”

The 25-year-old defenseman said he had no indication that Larkin was no longer willing to play for the team he captained for nearly six years.

“We welcomed him with open arms, we were open-minded and didn’t let a situation like in Winnipeg happen,” a reference to Connor Hellebuyck’s trade request from the Winnipeg Jets that ended with him being traded to the New Jersey Devils earlier this week.

“I think that’s a big credit to this locker room, too,” he added. “Now you just want to move on, figure some things out, and now some other guys will step up.”

Seider also said he was hopeful the Red Wings get a good return in a potential Larkin trade.

“You want this to be a proud organization where players want to be here, and want to be here long term. Hopefully, we can set a great example during the course of the year.”