Behrens ‘in a good spot here,’ on rise with Avalanche

DENVER — It has been a good year so far for Sean Behrens, and the 21-year-old defenseman is looking to keep it going this fall with the Colorado Avalanche.

In April, Behrens helped the University of Denver win its record-setting 10th NCAA men’s hockey national championship, signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Avalanche and made his professional debut with Colorado of the American Hockey League.

Now, he’s channeling those successes to help him stand out among his fellow prospects as he looks ahead to rookie camp and training camp.

“I think I’m in a good spot here with the Avs,” Behrens said during Colorado’s development camp earlier this month. “I’m really excited to get going, whether it’s in Loveland (Colorado, where its AHL affiliate plays) or in Denver. I’m excited to play games, get in the organization, play pro hockey, and really start my hockey career.

“So the work kind of starts now, but it’s just kind of grinding away through practices, through games, through dev camp, taking as much as I can from different guys. I’m really excited.”

Despite only playing in two AHL games last season, one during the Calder Cup Playoffs, Behrens, a second-round pick (No. 61) in the 2021 NHL Draft, was a sponge around the team, learning all he could in a short amount of time.

“I think it was great to get up there and play in a game but also just be around that team,” he said. “Met a lot of guys like (veteran defensemen) Brad Hunt, Keaton Middleton, guys that are really good to learn from, who are really good at their details. So I think just being up there, being around those guys was something that I really appreciated and I took a lot from, especially those two guys.”

One big takeaway the 5-foot-10, 177-pound native of Barrington, Illinois, had from his pro stint, and is focusing on during the offseason, is the importance of good footwork.

“I think it’s just having like, kind of quiet feet,” he said. “Not crossing over, not kind of falling over yourself, because guys come out of quarters a little bit quicker. They find plays a little bit quicker.

“So being able to close on guys, I think that’s something that I’ve worked on throughout my three years at DU, and it’s gotten better, but especially at the pro level, it needs to be really good. And you have to be able to take control of your D-zone and have success in your D-zone if you’re going to succeed at the pro level.”

In terms of next steps, Brian Willsie, the Avalanche director of player development, wants to see Behrens get games under his belt and show his ability to keep improving his skill set.

“For defensemen, in my mind, [it takes] a season,” Willsie said. “Sometimes people throw 100 games around for defensemen to adapt. So getting up there and getting experience with the older, stronger players [is key]. He excelled at DU. Developed really well there the years he was there.

“The Eagles play a really high pace. You’ve watched them play high-paced games similar to the Avs here. So get playing that style, and we’ll watch him develop.”