McDavid's offseason training regimen impresses Durzi

VAUGHAN, Ontario -- Sean Durzi has seen plenty of Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid the past two seasons, his Los Angeles Kings having been eliminated by the Oilers in the opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs each time.

Durzi won't see McDavid quite as often after the 24-year-old defenseman was traded outside the Pacific Division to the Arizona Coyotes on June 24, but this offseason has allowed him to see another side of McDavid, the 2023 Hart Trophy winner, voted as NHL most valuable player.

After all the on-ice battles the two have engaged in, Durzi now trains in the summer with the likes of McDavid, fellow Oilers forwards Zach Hyman and Leon Draisaitl, and Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos, all under the watchful eye of former NHL forward Gary Roberts.

And this week, Durzi found himself with McDavid again, this time for the Zach Hyman Celebrity Golf Classic at Eagles Nest, just north of Toronto.

It's an example of how foes can be friends.

Until training camps open next month, at least.

"The first time he walked into the gym with me we looked at each other in the eyes and started laughing. It was like, 'Should we be even talking to each other?' " Durzi said with a chuckle.

"It's always a good laugh. It's funny how you can be enemies on the ice, you know, play that hard against each other, and now be friends and support an event like this."

But the mutual respect Durzi and McDavid have for each other cuts deeper than their support for Hyman's event, which raises funds for children's charities, including SickKids Foundation, and UJA Federation.

Durzi spent a good chunk of time the past two postseasons with the unenviable assignment of attempting to contain McDavid, who has led the NHL in scoring five times in his eight seasons. Now, after getting a closer look at McDavid's training regimen, he has a much better understanding of what makes him tick.

"The work ethic stands out," Durzi said. "To be able to go on the ice with him, with them, every day, and be in the gym pushing each other, it's second to none that I've seen. So far it's an awesome group. We push each other to get better every day and doing a little bit more to improve. When you've got guys who are the best in the world and see how hard they work, it's good motivation for everyone in the group.

"With (McDavid), it's just the competitiveness. We laugh how every single day, the mini-games we play, we're competing like it's like a Game 7 out there. It always stings a little bit when we come off the ice after a loss and feels better after a win."

Through it all, the will to beat the other guy remains.

"Yeah, the rivalry has continued into the summer a little bit, with the joking and always doing a little bit more to push each other every single day," Durzi said. "Being able to train with these guys is awesome, and then being traded, it's been an eventful summer. Guys have been giving it to me a little bit.

"Even after the trade, the rivalry remains."

It's this type of competitiveness, coupled with his natural skill, that made Durzi an attractive commodity to the Coyotes, who saw plenty of him firsthand during their frequent matchups against the Kings.

Selected by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the second round (No. 52) of the 2018 NHL Draft, Durzi has 65 points (12 goals, 53 assists) in 136 regular-season games through two seasons with the Kings, and four points (two goals, two assists) in 13 playoff games. He has one season remaining on a two-year, $3.4 million contract ($1.7 million average annual value) he signed with Los Angeles on Sept. 5, 2022, and can be a restricted free agent after this season.

Coyotes general manager Bill Armstrong has been a Durzi fan for a while now, and has big plans for him.

"We figure this guy can be a difference-maker and play on our first-unit power play," Armstrong said. "He's also a volume puck mover. Those guys are hard to find. He can move the puck and transition.

"We're excited about that."

They feel the same way about his character. Armstrong said the Coyotes "did our homework on what he's like as a person and a player, and we fell in love with the player and the person off the ice."

For his part, Durzi said he still is getting his feet wet when it comes to his new team. He met a handful of his new teammates at Video: Top 25 Connor McDavid Plays from the 2022-23 Season recent Stanley Cup party. Kessel, a forward who was a member of the Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights, was with the Coyotes from 2019-22.

"He's actually with my neighbor I grew up with. They have a kid together," Durzi said, referring to Kessel's partner, Sandra Pereira. "Shows you what a small world it is. Some of the Coyotes were there and we were joking about things and laughing.

"It was a cool event and getting to meet those guys was cool. But again, this whole summer is different with the trade and all. I'm sure it'll feel a bit more real when I get down to Arizona and see everything.

"I'm excited."

NHL.com staff writer Jon Lane contributed to this report