During the Utah Hockey Club’s Monday afternoon game against the New Jersey Devils on Columbus Day, defenseman Sean Durzi left the game early due to an upper-body injury.
The incident occurred in the opening minute of the second period when Durzi took a hard, awkward hit from Devils defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler while trying to move the puck into the offensive zone. Siegenthaler appeared to strike Durzi on his left shoulder, causing Durzi to immediately leave the ice in visible pain and head straight down the tunnel. The 25-year-old defenseman did not return for the remainder of the game, leaving Utah with only five defenders to finish the contest.
Before exiting, Durzi had logged 9:09 of ice time across 12 shifts, recording a shot on goal and two blocked shots. The Mississauga native had played in all four of Utah’s games during the team’s inaugural NHL season, contributing two assists and a plus/minus of +2. He also made headlines earlier in the season by participating in the franchise’s first-ever fight, squaring off against Connor Murphy of the Chicago Blackhawks during Utah’s home opener.
The full extent of Durzi’s injury remains unknown, and while he hopes to avoid a lengthy absence, the situation is uncertain. Last season, while with the Arizona Coyotes, Durzi missed five games due to a lower-body injury. Despite that setback, he set career highs in goals (9), assists (32), points (41), and finished with a plus/minus of -1.
Durzi is in his first year with Utah, having been traded from the Arizona Coyotes in June 2023 in exchange for a second-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft. He liked his new environment enough to sign a four-year contract extension with Utah during the offseason, which carries a cap hit of $6 million through the 2027-28 season.
Originally drafted in the second round of the 2018 NHL Draft by the Toronto Maple Leafs, Durzi never made his debut with the team before being traded to the Los Angeles Kings in January 2019 as part of the deal that sent Jake Muzzin to Toronto. Over four NHL seasons, including two with the Kings, Durzi has appeared in 216 games, tallying 21 goals and 87 assists for 108 points.