ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Sean Behrens was fighting for a position in the corner during the Colorado Eagles scrimmage when he felt a pop in his knee. The worst things will run through your head as a professional athlete. How bad is it? How long will I be out? Will I need surgery? That happened when Behrens tore his ACL in training camp last season. And it cost him any chance of going to the Colorado Avalanche last season. But now Behrens can’t wait to get back to playing hockey again.

The University of Denver alum was hopeful in his first full season as a professional with the Eagles.

“I want to put myself in the conversation to get called up to the NHL,” Behrens had said before the injury.

Now, with a full season off to rehab his knee, Behrens is ready to play hockey again.

“It was a really tough year,” Behrens said on Monday. “Obviously, really unfortunate, but I thought for what it was, being able to stay in Loveland, be a part of that team, do my rehab there. It was awesome. I love it up there, and I just can’t wait to get back and play hockey again,  just get back to doing what I love.”

Behrens could stay with the Eagles and do his rehab the entire year in Loveland. He was often in the hallways after games, joking with teammates, keeping the mood light. But for someone who could not do something that he loved, he never seemed down in the dumps. The recent docuseries of Gabriel Landeskog and his rehab showed us how difficult it can be. Behrens had plenty of access to his old teammate from DU, Zeev Buium. They would often spend time together on the weekends since Loveland is only an hour drive away.

The gameplan

The plan remains the same for Behrens. He would like to put himself in a position to compete for an NHL call-up later in the season. After sitting out with a knee injury for a full season, it is like he is playing catch-up. Behrens does plan to take part in the Rookie Faceoff on September 12 and 14 that will take place in Highlands Ranch. This will be the first meaningful hockey since October 2024. He will probably be a key part of the defensive core of the Colorado Eagles this year along with Jack Ahcan, Wyatt Aamodt, and Jacob MacDonald. This coming season, he will get that long-awaited call-up that he has been dreaming of; there is no doubt about it.