Photo Credit: Mark Zaleski/ AP Photo
Dylan Larkin, the 19-year-old Detroit Red Wings rookie forward, has become the fastest skater to have skated in the NHL All-Star Skills Competition.
The All-Star game has brought some of the NHL’s best players forward and not only did the rookie get to participate in such an honorable event, he beat a record while he was there. After participating in the Fastest Skater Competition, Larkin left with a new achievement to keep his success going.
He did it!!! Dylan Larkin breaks the record!!! 😱😱😱 #STUD #LARKVILLE
— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) January 31, 2016
To set the new record, Larkin had to pass the record set by, then Toronto Maple Leaf Mike Gartner in 1996, just a few months before Larkin was even born. Gartner set the record at 13.386 seconds for a full rink lap; Larkin skated the full rink lap in 13.172 records.
Larkin earned the right to take on the record after winning the eight-man preliminary competition that tested each player’s speed in a shortened course. In the initial competition, Larkin beat our his competitors with a time of 12.894 seconds.
Dylan Larkin just beat Mike Gartner's #NHLAllStar Fastest Skater record. The record stood for 20 years. Larkin's 19. pic.twitter.com/pxczvEe8r2
— Brad Galli (@BradGalli) January 31, 2016
The rookie Red Wing was surprised at how quickly he had skated, and stated that he had been unsure just how fast he was going until the crowd reacted once he finished his lap. Larkin, so far, has been having a terrific rookie season and his success in the Skills Competition is another one of his great accomplishments, as well as being a 2016 All-Star.
Larkin currently has 15 goals, 18 assists, 33 points, and a plus/minus of 24 in the 48 games he has played. He often plays the first line alongside Red Wings’ center Henrik Zetterberg and right-winger Justin Abdelkader.
This is only the beginning of an incredible career for Larkin. He’s already achieved so much and will only continue to do so, even as he pushes through the rest of his rookie season. His next big accomplishment will be representing the Detroit Red Wings from the Atlantic Division in the 2016 NHL All-Star Game.
