Utah Hockey Club Defenseman Sean Durzi Checks Out With Upper-Body Injury

Oct 14, 2024 , 1:12 PM

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CHANDLER HOLT


KSL Sports

NEWARK, N.J. – After checking out in the second period with an upper-body injury, it was announced that Utah Hockey Club defenseman Sean Durzi would not return.

Durzi is Utah’s No. 2 defenseman and his absence proved to be fatal on the road.

With Durzi in the lineup, the first period came to an end at a 0-0 draw.

Then, in the second, New Jersey found its stride and jumped out to a 2-0 advantage.

No other information on the specifics or severity of Durzi’s injury has been released at this time.

Before exiting against the Devils, Durzi had one shot on goal and two blocked shots.

Through the first three games of the season, Durzi recorded two assists and two shots on goal.

Karel Vejmelka To Start In Net Against New Jersey Devils

As the Utah Hockey Club prepares for the final game of their east coast road trip, there will be a change in net for Utah as Karel Vejmelka gets his first start between the pipes for the club.

After three starts for Connor Ingram through the first three games of the new season, Utah has elected to rest Ingram and provide Karel Vejmelka with his first start for the Utah Hockey Club.

With a long 82-game season, it’s common for NHL teams to switch between netminders in order to keep them healthy and well-rested throughout the year. In 2023-24, Ingram appeared in 50 games for the club while Vejmelka had 38 starts and Matt Villalta took the net twice.

In his 38 starts last season, Vejmelka had a .895 save percentage and allowed 3.35 goals per game. Generally, a good save percentage is anywhere between .900 and .920 in the NHL.

During the preseason, Vejmelka allowed 10 goals in three starts on 81 shots (.876).

Chandler Holt is a co-host of the Jazz Notes podcast, a Locals In The NFL Insider, and Digital Sports Producer for KSLSports.com. Follow Chandler on X for Utah Jazz and Locals In The NFL updates.

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