SALT LAKE CITY – Not all is sunshine and roses inside the Utah Hockey Club training room after General Manager Bill Armstrong revealed Sean Durzi will be out indefinitely. Following a 3-1 start for the first NHL franchise in Utah, the loss of Durzi could be a big blow for a defensive unit that has struggled at times this season. Utah is already the third youngest team in the NHL and will likely rely on more youth until Durzi’s return.
Utah HC’s GM joined Hans & Scotty G on KSL Sports Zone on Tuesday, October 15.
“Last night [Tuesday], we ended up losing Sean Durzi,” Armstrong said. “It doesn’t look like he’s going to be back anytime soon. We’re going to have more young guys jump in and see what we can do here.”
Utah Hockey Club GM Bill Armstrong just told @975hans and me during our weekly interview that Sean Durzi will be out with injury for the foreseeable future. He did not give a specific timeline but it might be a minute.
— Scott Garrard (@ScottyGZone) October 15, 2024
The fourth-year player tallied an assist in the club’s first two games. Durzi also played a memorable role in finishing the first fight in Utah Hockey Club history.
Durzi has been stationed alongside Mikhail Sergachev on the team’s top defensive line. His contributions will also be missed in the Power Play and Penalty Kill units.
Utah is 18th in the league, allowing 3.50 goals per game this season. Opponents have scored 14 goals against Utah HC, the sixth-highest total in the NHL this season. Utah goal-tenders have been forced to make 106 saves, the fifth-most in the league.
The Beehive State and Utah Hockey Club fans put the NHL on notice in the club’s first-ever game at Delta Center. The sold-out arena was rocking from beginning to end, earning acclaim as one of the loudest buildings in the league just one game in.
After a long four-game road trip when the Boston Bruins, the second straight ‘Original Six’ franchise to play in Delta Center, come calling on October 19, Armstrong expects the building to be just as rowdy.
“It’s gonna be taxing for us for sure,” Armstrong said of coming back home. “That’s the whole love of having your fans at home is their going to give you some strength. They’re going to give you some enthusiasm. Then you look on the other side and see the Boston Bruins logo, and you know it’s not going to be an easy night.”
Utah Hockey Club has made its NHL regular season debut.
The scene inside the Delta Center in Salt Lake City:
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) October 9, 2024
We always say the fans are like a seventh forward on the ice,” stated his expectation for the Delta Center crowd. “We’re gonna need them for sure coming off this road trip… The way that they cheer, I do believe it is the loudest building in the NHL and we want to keep it that way. No matter who is in our lineup, we’re going to fight.”
The former Arizona Coyotes player began playing hockey when he was five.
In 2017, Durzi went to support a friend at the NHL Draft and hoped to hear his name called as well. However, the draft concluded without the defenseman getting selected. Durzi said he used the disappointment to motivate him the following year. He worked on his game and tried to improve on his weaknesses.
What a pass by Utah defenseman Sean Durzi setting up the winner in OT. 2 assists on the season, 25+ mins TOI tonight. @seandurzi @OctagonHockey pic.twitter.com/mgKW6MElWr
— Allan Walsh🏒 (@walsha) October 11, 2024
A year later, Durzi’s name was called when his hometown Maple Leafs picked him with the 52nd overall pick during the second round of the 2018 NHL Draft.
The defenseman played for four seasons in the Ontario Hockey League before making his NHL debut. The Los Angeles Kings acquired Durzi via trade in 2019.
From 2021-23, Durzi played in 136 games for the Kings. He recorded 12 goals and 53 assists during his time in Los Angeles. The Coyotes traded for Durzi in June 2023. In his lone season with the former Arizona franchise, Durzi scored nine goals and had 32 assists, finishing with a -1 plus/minus rating.
Utah HC continues its four-game road trip with a date in Disneyland. Utah faces the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday, October 16. The puck drops at 8 p.m. MT.
Find KSLSports.com coverage of the Utah Hockey Club here.
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Brian Preece is a KSLsports.com insider covering Locals in MLB and Salt Lake Bees. Follow Brian’s Bees and Beehive baseball coverage here.
