Helene St. James | Detroit Free Press

Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press

Dylan Larkin wishes he had said things differently.

With fan voting on the 2020 NHL All-Star Game closed, Larkin addressed comments he made that caused a stir in social media and hockey circles. In retrospect, Larkin would have said things differently than he did on Dec. 31, when he asked fans not to vote him to the Jan. 24-26 event in St. Louis because “I like the days off more.” The event conjoins with the winter break, giving players a week off.

“In the moment, I said what I said but I really do regret that,” Larkin said Saturday. “I didn’t mean to disrespect the league. I feel I did that, and disrespected the Red Wings. My main goal as a hockey player in the state of Michigan is to represent myself and the Red Wings and be a good example for kids growing up playing the game. I felt I wasn’t that, so I’m sorry about that.”

Kirthmon F. Dozier, Detroit Free Press

Voting for the “Last Man In,” in which fans could vote to have one player from each division added to the ASG rosters, closed Friday. Forward Mitchell Marner of the Toronto Maple Leafs was the top vote-getter to represent the Atlantic Division.

Each team has at least one representative, and NHL officials chose Tyler Bertuzzi. At the time, he led the Wings with 30 points in 40 games, and since then has reached 34 points in 45 games.

Fan voting ran Jan. 1-10. Larkin made the point – rightfully so – that there were worthier candidates on the “Last Man In” ballots than him, but his comment about liking days off better drew the ire of Hockey Night in Canada analyst Brian Burke.

"This kid is a good kid and he's a good player, but it's an honor to be a part of the All-Star weekend,” Burke said last weekend. “You should get a speeding ticket on your way to the airport to fly to this game Dylan Larkin, and you shouldn't scoff at it like that.”

Larkin regretted his comment.

“I have to own up to them,” he said. “I didn’t mean for them to become that big of a thing. I saw what Brian Burke said and I have a lot of respect for Brian. He was in the right to say that. I have to represent this team and this franchise and my teammates better than that.”

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Detroit Red Wings 3, Ottawa Senators 2 (SO): Photos from LCA

Former captain Henrik Zetterberg managed not to attend the two times he was selected to the All-Star Game, but he did not make his desire for days off publicly known. Former captain Nicklas Lidstrom was forced to sit out a game by the NHL for not attending the 2009 event.

Other than dealing with the aftermath of his All-Star comments, Larkin has looked noticeably better since New Year’s Eve. He is on a five-game point streak, most recently scoring in regulation and the shootout Friday to lift the Wings past the Senators, 3-2. It’s part being inspired by Bertuzzi and Filip Hronek, who sandwich Larkin’s 29 points, and part the benefit of five days of at the holidays.

“The season Tyler is having and the season Fil is having, they are having career years so far,” Larkin said. “I don’t think anyone can be satisfied, really. I take it hard on myself with the losses, but since Christmas, there has been that breather there. It kind of hit a reset button for me and I just try to come to the rink every day and enjoy being here and playing the game. I think it has helped my game on the ice and it’s helped our team, I feel.

“I’m hoping to have a good second half here.”

The Wings are mired at the bottom of the NHL standings with just 12 victories through 45 games, and have the worst goal differential at minus-71. Larkin has been front and center in front of reporters after most games, and has looked and sounded frustrated at times.

“When you lose, it’s hard,” coach Jeff Blashill said. “When you lose as much as we have, it’s really hard. If you’re a super competitor that wants to win every night, and he is certainly as competitive as anybody I’ve been around, so certainly that’s been part of it. But that’s part of the mental toughness you develop as you go through hard times. I’m a big believer that hard times can really build you up and prepare you for later challenges and I know the stuff Dylan is going through now will prepare him for later challenges.”