Detroit Red Wings forward Dylan Larkin one of many with Olympics worries

The 2022 Beijing Winter Games are inching closer and closer, and for the Detroit Red Wings captain, Dylan Larkin, he remains worried. It’s an uneasy situation given the COVID-19 issues and the many restrictions and precautions that come with it.

The Detroit Red Wings, like many other NHL teams, are battling COVID-19 issues here in North America, but many players are starting to get worried about heading to China for the Olympics. The ice hockey portion of the games is slated to run from February 3rd to February 20th, 2022.

But, players around the league have gone out and made it clear that they are concerned about quarantine periods and getting stuck overseas. In a recent article from the Detroit Free Press, it was noted that Larkin’s fear is that he or any other athletes could test positive and then be in quarantine for up to five weeks, which is the rumored guideline.

In the NHL, the quarantine period is ten days, but overseas the worry is that a late positive test could lead to a prolonged stay and late return. Erik Karlsson spoke out about the quarantine period in an article from The Athletic($) recently as well.

Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Lakin is not the only player worried about the Olympics.

More and more players seemingly have come out and voiced their opinions on the matter. The catch is that players are supposed to be heading to Beijing to play for their respective countries and compete for medals over the time period mentioned above.

However, in 2018, there was no deal between the NHL and NHLPA, and players were unable to head overseas to take part in the Olympics; this time, there already is a deal($) in place. There are players out there who think this may not be a feasible option.

When it comes to the Red Wings, missing Larkin due to a prolonged absence due to quarantine would be incredibly detrimental to the team’s success. Having Larkin in the lineup is crucial to the team’s success; he’s the team’s top centermen and in the running for top point-getter as well.

It would be awesome to watch Larkin head to Beijing to represent the United States and compete for a gold medal, but the risk of losing him for possibly as much as five weeks has to concern Red Wings fans.

Not to mention, these players have to put their own individual health first. The NHL is already dealing with a COVID-19 outbreak that has continued for over a week now, so worries about positive tests overseas are going to be very real for those considering going.

It’s a sticky situation that Larkin and many others have to be careful about.