The Utah Hockey Club was forced into desperation mode early this season and had to call up Maveric Lamoureux from the American Hockey League (AHL) much sooner than they had anticipated. After general manager Bill Armstrong did a great job rebuilding the blue line in the offseason, Utah started the season without John Marino, one of the upgrades brought in to play on the right side of one of Utah’s top two pairings. Then, in the third game of the season, they lost Sean Durzi to injury, the other right-shot defenseman playing the right side of Utah’s top pairing.
Marino started the season with a week-to-week designation on his injury. However, shortly after it was announced that Durzi would need shoulder surgery, Utah also announced that Marino had suffered a setback in his recovery. This caused a need for surgery on his back, which resulted in Marino being ruled out for three to four months. A timeline like Durzi’s injury, who will be out at least four months.
Initially, after Durzi’s injury, Utah did not give a concrete timeline for these guys’ return to the lineup. While in limbo, waiting for these two guys to be thoroughly evaluated, Utah used their seventh defenseman, Robert Bortuzzo, to try and get by until these timelines were eventually released.
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Once it was established that Durzi and Marino would both be out for a lengthy period, Utah knew they would have to do something to strengthen their defensive core. With two of their three best defenders sidelined, Juuso Välimäki and Ian Cole struggling to start the season, and Bortuzzo showing he could not be trusted with typical third-pair minutes, this is what led to Lamoureux being called up to the NHL for the first time in his career.
Lamoureux’s Path to the NHL
Lamoureux was selected 29th overall in the first round of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft by the Arizona Coyotes. In his draft year, he only recorded 24 points in 54 games and was a minus-30 in the Quebec Maritime Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). However, he was not a sought-after prospect for his offensive ability but for his size and physicality.
Lamoureux stands at 6-foot-6 and is now listed at 214 pounds. After being drafted, he spent two more seasons in the QMJHL with the Drummondville Voltigeurs. In both seasons, he dealt with significant injuries, which caused him to play less than…
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