NEWARK, NJ - OCTOBER 14: Sean Durzi #50 of the Utah Hockey Club warms up prior to the game against the New Jersey Devils at the Prudential Center on October 14, 2024 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Rich Graessle/NHLI via Getty Images)
(Photo by Rich Graessle/NHLI via Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY – As the Utah Hockey Club prepares for a seven-game homestand and nine total at Delta Center during the month of January, several of Utah’s defensemen have been making progress as they work towards returning to the ice.
After both John Marino and Sean Durzi were spotted at Monday’s practice session, head coach Andre Tourigny provided some insight on their current status.
Before diving into coaches’ comments, it’s important to understand the expected return timeline for each player.
According to former Coyotes Insider Craig Morgan, Marino is anticipated to return on February 1 while Durzi won’t be back until the end of the season.
The last time GM Bill Armstrong updated me (last week), these were the timelines for return:
— John Marino: Feb 1.
— Sean Durzi: End of season
— Connor Ingram: Still no timeline https://t.co/i1v0WsSUvB— Craig Morgan (@CraigSMorgan) December 24, 2024
With just a few weeks until Marino’s anticipated return, the recently acquired defenseman has been making a lot of progress and checking all the right boxes.
John Marino is no longer in a non-contact jersey and the Utah Hockey Club has returned for 7 straight at home.#UtahHC pic.twitter.com/H3jBtl2TEq
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) January 6, 2025
Since last week, Marino has shed his non-contact jersey and been participating in practice. He also joined the team on their most recent road trip to begin acclimating to the routine and interacting with the rest of squad.
“He’s on schedule,” Tourigny said. “The last two practices he had a normal jersey. It’s coming. We’re talking. Not this week, but it’s coming.”
Marino’s return will come at a critical time for the Utah Hockey Club as they seek more blue line stability amidst a playoff push.
With five years of experience, Marino has been a highly anticipated addition to the team after they traded for him this past summer.
During his NHL career, Marino has registered 18 goals and 89 assists.
While Durzi was at Monday’s practice, he left early and did not participate in any drills.
After ripping some shots in warmups, he then departed the ice once practice officially began and did some personal training on the surrounding ice track.
Sean Durzi was out on the ice ripping shots with the rest of the team before practice officially began.
He’s now moved to the surrounding ice track and is working on his stick handling.#UtahHC pic.twitter.com/3HRFBwxsng
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) January 6, 2025
“It’s a few weeks now he has skated. But need to hold him back a little bit,” Tourigny said.
Like Marino, Durzi also remains on schedule which means that he likely will not be available until the end of the season.
However, it’s a huge positive that he’s not only skating hard, but his motion looked really good when he was firing shots and stickhandling.
The Utah Hockey Club will now return home to face the Florida Panthers on Wednesday. The game can be viewed on TNT. Fans can also tune in on air on the KSL Sports APP or on 97.5 and 1280 The Zone. Click here for the full schedule.
