How Utah Hockey Club is approaching an unexpected challenge

Mikhail Sergachev circled the ice, preparing for overtime against the Anaheim Ducks.

The defenseman had already logged 27 minutes in the matchup. But for the second consecutive game, Utah Hockey Club was down to just five defensemen by the final frame.

With injuries to his first-pair partner Sean Durzi and blueliner Robert Bortuzzo, Sergachev and Utah’s backend had to dig deep to finish the game.

It seems that will now be a constant theme for the D-corps moving forward.

The Hockey Club’s defensive group is stretched thin right now, but here’s how it aims to overcome the challenge.

Utah Hockey Club’s injury status

A matinee contest in New Jersey saw Utah lose its first game in franchise history and one of its key defensemen.

Durzi was hit along the boards in the second period and left the game with his right arm in discomfort. He did not return. The team announced Thursday that Durzi would be out “for the foreseeable future.”

“He will be back this year,” head coach André Tourigny said. “When? Not soon enough. But he will be back.”

Tourigny did not confirm if Durzi’s upper-body injury required surgery.

The 25-year-old defenseman had two points in four games while skating with Sergachev on Utah’s top D-pairing. Durzi is known for his two-way game, and his versatility was an asset for Utah. Whether on the power play, penalty kill or 5-on-5, Durzi is an impact player. The Hockey Club will now look to fill the gaps without him.

What seemed like a deep defensive squad following the team’s offseason acquisitions has thinned greatly. John Marino — who Utah picked up in June in exchange for a 2024 and 2025 second-round draft pick — has yet to see the ice.

The former New Jersey Devil is dealing with an upper-body injury and missed the entirety of training camp because of it. Tourigny said Marino is still “months” away from returning.

Marino’s experience from a cumulative 328 NHL games played and offensive touch (he had 25 points through 75 games last season) would help patch things up on the backend for Utah, but he remains unavailable.

Bortuzzo, on the other hand, appears to be fine.

After exiting the third period against the Ducks because of an injury, Bortuzzo practiced with the team on Friday and Tourigny said he should be good to go.

Next-man-up mentality

When Sergachev was traded to Utah in June, it was clear he had the chance to become the Hockey Club’s No. 1 defenseman. Now — just two weeks into the season — the 26-year-old is undoubtedly a core structure holding up the blueline. Sergachev’s 27:52 of time on ice Wednesday followed 28:25 on Monday. That’s nearly half the game.

“I love playing a lot, so I feel great. It just expedites the process for me of getting back to the form of me playing with confidence and shooting the puck a lot and stuff,” Sergachev said. “Get to play a lot, I enjoy it obviously, but it sucks that we have so many injuries.”

Michael Kesselring got moved up to the first pair to play with Sergachev, and the two have been feeling out each other’s styles. Kesselring, 24, had two points (one goal, one assist) against the Ducks and is working to round out his game in all areas of the ice.

Durzi’s injury has become a significant opportunity for Kesselring.

“I think Kesselring has been really good. He has a lot of tools,” Tourigny said. “He needs to keep working on his consistency and quickness of his decisions offensively and defensively, but other than that, he has all the tools.”

Ian Cole is another player who has recorded extended minutes due to injuries. The 35-year-old had 24:46 of ice time on Wednesday, including his position on the first penalty kill unit. As a battle-tested defenseman, Cole said focusing on recovery during off days has been key — specifically sleep and hydration.

Cole has been skating on the second pair with Juuso Valimaki who is running the point on the second power play unit in Durzi’s absence.

“We’re going to need to all do what we do in terms of our role and our game, and just be better at it,” Cole said. “We’re going to have to pick up the slack. Just because we lost a guy doesn’t mean we have the green light to lose a bunch of hockey games.”

Keeping Durzi in the conversation while he is sidelined is important for the team, too. Cole said Durzi was at Utah’s Olympic Oval Friday before practice and the two talked for a bit.

Being injured can be isolating — the player is away from the locker room, not participating in skates and unable to contribute on game days. That can take a toll, one that Durzi’s teammates hope to help alleviate as much as they can.

“It’s great to see him,” Cole said. “I know he’s pretty bummed right now. But as teammates it’s our job to make sure he’s involved and at the rink, coming to games and hanging out with the fellas as much as he can.”

Bringing in reinforcements

Utah Hockey Club recalled Patrik Koch from the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners on Wednesday to carry as a seventh defenseman.

The 27-year-old pushed during Utah’s training camp and had three assists in two preseason games. Koch played two games with the Roadrunners this season before getting the nod to join the Hockey Club.

“I was happy. Very grateful for the opportunity and I’m going to try to do my best,” Koch said. “I will try to just do what the coaches want me to do. ... Just playing the system right and being responsible.”

Tourigny said the decision to call Koch up stemmed from the fact he was the best defenseman on Utah’s AHL affiliate team at the moment. Koch’s physicality, skating and simple defense stood out early.

Utah also signed 19-year-old defenseman Terrell Goldsmith to a three-year, entry-level contract on Friday. Goldsmith was the 102nd overall pick of the Arizona Coyotes in the 2023 NHL Draft and has spent five seasons in the Western Hockey League.

At 6-foot-4, 223 pounds, Goldsmith posted a career-high 15 points (three goals, 12 assists) through 66 games with the Prince Albert Raiders in the 2023-24 season.

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