Larkin on top of the worlds

3:08 PM ET

During the past year, Dylan Larkin has completed a stellar freshman season at the University of Michigan, won a bronze medal at the 2015 IIHF world championship in the Czech Republic, signed with the Detroit Red Wings, earned a full-time roster spot out of training camp, led the Wings with 23 goals as a rookie, served as their lone representative at the All-Star Game, been named to Team North America at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey this September and represented the U.S. once again at the IIHF world championships in Russia.

“I’ve almost been too busy to really let that all sink in, but when you say it like that … It has been a good year,” said Larkin, 19, with a smile.

That’s putting it mildly.

When the Red Wings drafted him 15th overall in 2014, they had Larkin ranked much higher on their board and counted themselves lucky that he was still available. In addition to his speed and skill, they loved what they had seen of his character and work ethic.

“I remember Tyler Wright, our director of amateur scouting, telling a story of [Team] USA playing at the U-18 World Championship. Dylan partially separated his shoulder but he came right back in and finished the tournament,” said Jiri Fischer, director of player development for the Red Wings. “He wanted to play. That’s not typical, for a 17-year-old guy to play with pain and really try to do anything to win.”

After leading all NCAA freshmen with 47 points in 35 games, Larkin earned a spot on the men’s national team at the world championship last May. He used that tournament as a litmus test to see how he stacked up against the competition and to decide if he was ready to make the jump to the professional ranks.

Despite scoring only one point in 10 games and realizing that he wasn’t anywhere close to the player he wanted to be, Larkin decided to embrace that challenge head on and immediately signed his entry-level contract with Detroit. He made his debut for Grand Rapids, Detroit’s AHL affiliate, on May 24, 2015, during the first game of the Western Conference finals against Utica. He would go on to score five points in six games in the series.

“There are a lot of players who want to move up a level, but they don’t always back it up with their work ethic or studying the game or maturing their body off the ice,” said Fischer. “Dylan has done all those things. He’s certainly one of the best prospects that we’ve had in a long time.”

Now that Larkin realized what it took to be competitive at the next level, it was time for the Waterford, Mich., native to really get to work.

“I knew my upper body needed to be stronger so I could win face-offs,” he said. “I needed to hit the gym and put on some weight to physically be ready to play and compete with men, and I think I did that.”

By the time rookie camp began, Larkin had added 10 pounds. He impressed his coaches and fellow players there and then again in training camp. A roster spot opened because of Darren Helm’s preseason injury, so a few weeks later Larkin found himself suiting up for the Red Wings, the team he grew up rooting for, to start the season. He became the first 19-year-old to debut for Detroit on opening night since Mike Sillinger in 1990-91 — six years before Larkin was born.

Dylan Larkin has seven points …

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