The former Los Angeles Kings blue-liner will be one of the veterans that get to be on Delta Center's ice for the first time tonight.
Sean Durzi was watching from afar as the Utah Hockey Club nabbed its first-ever pre-season win last night in Des Moines, Iowa.
Now, the veteran defenceman will take the ice tonight at Delta Center as Utah will face his former team, the Los Angeles Kings, in the club's inaugural pre-season home opener tonight at 7:00 p.m.
"The goal for everybody in camp right now should be take every shift and get better the next one," he said Monday after morning skate at the Olympic Oval in Kearns. "You just try to be an example, whether something does or doesn't go our way."
It adds to what head coach Andre Tourigny has been preaching in the intense practices of training camp to "control the controllable", and Durzi said experience in handling adversity is part of learning to control the controllable.
Not to be outdone, Durzi and the veterans have also had a chance to play hard, as well. The defenceman posted on his story Saturday a picture of a Utah Utes sweater as he watched the football team take down Oklahoma State in Stillwater.
It makes sense, given he and some of the other stars, like Clayton Keller, Connor Ingram, and Barrett Hayton, were given a chance to experience Utah football against Baylor a couple weeks ago.
"Seeing people around town, I didn't realize it's pretty big around here." Durzi said. "I think for sure they're going to go the playoff, and they'll go to the Big 12 Championship."
Game Day Information: Los Angeles Kings vs. Utah Hockey Club
Monday, September 23 at 7:00 p.m.; Delta Center
- TV: KUPX16, streaming simulcast available on SEG+ and UtahHC+
- Radio: None
The game will not be available for streaming nationally on ESPN+. It will also not be available for streaming on SEG+ and UtahHC+ for those outside of Utah HC's broadcast area.