SALT LAKE CITY – After missing the last six weeks with a shoulder injury, Utah Mammoth defenseman Sean Durzi will return to lineup on Wednesday night against the Montreal Canadiens.
Per Tourigny, Sean Durzi will return to the lineup tonight against Montreal.#TusksUp #GoHabsGo
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) November 26, 2025
Andre Tourigny says Sean Durzi brings an ‘offensive touch’ ahead of return against Montreal
Through the first 105 games in the club’s existence, Utah Mammoth defenseman Sean Durzi has only appeared in 32 of those contests due to injury.
Now set to make his return against Montreal, Durzi will not only focus on remaining healthy, but according to Head Coach Andre Tourigny, he’ll offer more of an ‘offensive touch’ on Utah’s blue line.
“[He brings] His offensive touch, his puck movement, his shot, his read of the play offensively.”
“He brings a lot of passion to the game. He brings a lot of energy; he’s a really competitive kid. He wants to make a difference so we’re happy to have him back.”
Before his injury on October 11 against the Predators, Durzi registered an assist, four blocked shots and three hits in 18:56 of ice time per night.
According to Tourigny, Durzi will play alongside Ian Cole on the third pair against the Canadiens.
Why is Dmitri Simashev coming out of the lineup?
As Durzi prepares to make his return against Montreal, Tourigny noted during his morning press conference that rookie Dmitri Simashev would be coming out of the lineup to make room for No. 50.
Simashev is coming out. https://t.co/5bWSxFJ02m
— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) November 26, 2025
Is that the right decision?
Absolutely.
Not that Simashev is a bad player or really struggling but when a defenseman like Durzi is about to return and everyone else ahead of him is playing as well as they are, the rookie is understandably going to sit.
“We’re starting 7 games in 11 days…he won’t be out for long,” Tourigny explained. “He will be back in the lineup, but we’ll do a rotation here.”
“Simashev is an important player for us in the future, but he has certain things we want him to work on.”
As Tourigny noted, Simashev needs to progress some areas of his game and that’s totally fine.
He’s a 20-year-old defenseman who has surpassed expectations in his rookie season.
However, with that in mind, his offense does leave a lot to be desired as expected.
With only one point through 22 appearances and a plus/minus of minus eight, Simashev simply had to be the one to sit out.
The good news?
Tourigny said he won’t be out for long as they’ll execute a rotation amongst the blue line.
So don’t worry.
This isn’t a rash decision, but the right move in order to make room for Durzi.
The vets are all playing well and it won’t hurt Simashev to sit for a game or two.
The abundance of talent is a good problem to have.
About Sean Durzi
The 26-year-old was born in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, in October 1998. In 2023, the Arizona Coyotes acquired Durzi from the Los Angeles Kings via trade. On June 30, 2024, he signed a four-year deal with the Utah Hockey Club, keeping him with the franchise through the 2027-28 season.
Junior Career
Born in a Toronto suburb, Durzi began skating at the age of five. He began his pro hockey dreams as a goalie before switching to defense. He played AAA hockey for the Mississauga Braves and Mississauga Rebels of the Greater Toronto Hockey League before earning a chance in the OHL.
The Owen Sound selected Durzi in the 12th round (228th overall) of the 2014 OHL Draft.
Professional Career
After being selected by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the second round of the 2018 draft (52nd overall), Durzi spent four seasons in the Ontario Hockey League for development.
Toronto dealt Durzi to the Los Angeles Kings in late January 2019.
Durzi broke out during the 2019 OHL postseason, earning a berth on the Memorial Cup All-Star Team after helping lead Guelph to the league title. He scored three goals and assisted 24 others during the championship run.
He opened the 2021-22 season in the American Hockey League with Ontario, scoring 16 points in 13 games to earn his first NHL call-up in November 2021. He would play 64 games with Los Angeles, registering three goals, 24 assists, and a team-high 121 blocked shots while playing nearly 20 minutes a night.
His rookie performance earned Durzi a two-year, one-way contract that paid the defenseman $1.7 million a year. He went on to tally career-highs with nine goals and 29 assists while helping the Kings into the playoffs for the second straight year.
Los Angeles shipped Durzi to Phoenix in exchange for a 2024 second-round pick. He played a career-high 76 games for the Coyotes in 2023-24. Durzi scored nine goals and added 32 assists while playing nearly 23 minutes a night.
Following the franchise’s move to Salt Lake City over the summer, Durzi inked a four-year deal with the inaugural Utah Hockey Club on June 30, 2024.
The 6’1, 196-pound defender played the first four games of the 2024-25 season before an injury forced him out of action until late February.
What’s next for the Utah Mammoth?
The Utah Mammoth will conclude their four-game homestand against the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m. MT.
The game will be available on Mammoth+.
All Mammoth games will also be broadcast live on the KSL Sports Zone (97.5 FM/1280 AM).
Cole Bagley is the Utah Mammoth insider for KSL Sports. Keep up with him on X here. You can hear Cole break down the team on KSL Sports Zone and KSL 5 TV.
Take us with you, wherever you go.
