Dylan Larkin rips the NHL and George Parros for inconsistent officiating

Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin spoke to the media today for the first time since suffering a concussion last week, after being officially cleared to return to play yesterday.

Larkin was asked about the lack of discipline for Ottawa Senators forwards Parker Kelly and Mathieu Joseph and, frankly, he didn't hold back. Larkin said it's 'hard to know how to protect yourself' in the NHL these days, due to inconsistent officiating.

"The last week in the league has been pretty eye-opening," Larkin said to Max Bultman of The Athletic.

"It's been kind of a trend - this last week has been a highlight for player safety," Larkin continued. "As a player, I'm obviously closely attached because I just went through something, but I've talked to guys on our team, guys from other teams, and it's hard to feel safe out there. It's hard to know how to protect yourself."

"This instance, watching it back, I wasn't really doing anything," Larkin said. "I just was trying to make a play on the puck and just standing there, really. … How do you protect yourself? Who's protecting you? There's a lot of (unanswered questions) in our sport right now."

You hear that, George Parros? The Red Wings' captain is speaking DIRECTLY to you. The players have no idea what's allowed and what's not and that's entirely your doing.

In other Red Wings news today, the team announced they have signed veteran goaltender Michael Hutchinson to a one year contract that runs through the rest of this season.

From the team:

The 33 year old netminder has been playing with the Red Wings' AHL affiliate Grand Rapids Griffins this season, putting up a a 2.98 goals against average and .895 save percentage in 13 games. In total he has played in 153 career NHL games split between the Columbus Blue Jackets, Toronto Maple Leafs, Colorado Avalanche, Florida Panthers and Winnipeg Jets.

Read below for the press release announcement from the Red Wings:

DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings today signed goaltender Michael Hutchinson to a one-year, two-way contract for the remainder of the 2023-24 season.

Hutchinson, 33, has spent the 2023-24 season with the American Hockey League’s Grand Rapids Griffins, posting a 5-7-1 record with a 2.98 goals-against average, an 0.895 save percentage and one shutout in 13 games. The 6-foot-3, 201-pound netminder also appeared in two preseason contests with the Red Wings while signed to a professional tryout. Hutchinson split the 2022-23 campaign between the AHL’s Henderson Silver Knights and the Columbus Blue Jackets, making seven appearances with the Silver Knights before playing in 16 NHL games with the Blue Jackets. Originally selected by the Boston Bruins in the third round (77th overall) of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, Hutchinson has compiled a 57-61-18 record with a 2.93 goals-against average, a 0.902 save percentage and six shutouts in 153 NHL games with the Winnipeg Jets, Florida Panthers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Colorado Avalanche and Blue Jackets since 2013-14. Additionally, Hutchinson has built a 111-78-21 record with a 2.60 goals-against average, a 0.915 save percentage and 16 shutouts in 222 AHL games with the Providence Bruins, St. John’s IceCaps, Manitoba Moose, Toronto Marlies, Springfield Thunderbirds, Silver Knights and Griffins, participating in the 2018 AHL All-Star Classic and earning a place on the AHL Second All-Star Team in 2017-18.

A native of Barrie, Ont., Hutchinson played four seasons in the Ontario Hockey League with the Barrie Colts and London Knights from 2006-10 prior to turning professional. Hutchinson played his final major junior season with London in 2009-10, posting a 32-12-2 record with a 2.86 goals-against average, a 0.913 save percentage and three shutouts in 46 appearances. In total, Hutchinson accumulated a 67-50-7 record with a 2.87 goals-against average, a 0.915 save percentage and nine shutouts in 130 OHL contests. On the international stage, Hutchinson represented Team Canada at the 2022 Spengler Cup, appearing in two games at the tournament held annually in Davos, Switzerland