DENVER -- Sean Behrens' past and present worlds collided in the 2025 NHL preseason opener.
Behrens was back in his old University of Denver locker room, but this time in Colorado Avalanche burgundy and blue as he played against the Utah Mammoth on Sunday in the familiar confines off Buchtel and University.
"Playing here for three years, accomplishing what we accomplished, being able to come back here and play again in Magness is awesome," Behrens said postgame of his DU return. "I feel like I kind of grew up here."
Behrens helped begin one of the best eras in DU hockey history—which says something given all the accolades and NCAA-record 10 national titles the program has produced in 76 years.
The Pioneers won at least 30 games in each of Behrens' three seasons from 2021 through 2024, a pair of NCHC Penrose Cups as conference regular-season champions, the 2024 NCHC Frozen Faceoff tournament championship and the two most recent national titles in 2022 and 2024.
Selected in the second round at No. 61 overall by the Avs in the summer before arriving at Denver in 2021, Behrens went on to total 81 points in 112 career games in crimson and gold, with his 71 assists presently ranking 12th all-time by a Denver rear guard.
The Barrington, Illinois, native had suited up in both contests of the Avalanche's Rookie Tournament the previous weekend, but Sunday marked his first true NHL-type outing after missing all of 2024-25 with a knee injury that he suffered during the Colorado Eagles' American Hockey League training camp last September. The defenseman finished his return to Magness with three shot attempts and a plus-1 rating in the Avs' 5-1 win over Utah.
"Obviously, things have picked up a bit from the rookie tournament," Behrens said. "Guys move pucks a little quicker, they're a little bit faster, but I felt good out there. I thought as a team we did a really good job for forechecking and making it easy to have good gaps for our D-corps and that gave us a lot of success."
Coming back from such a serious injury, Behrens said he's not tempering his expectations for what will be his first professional season, but he understands it will be a process to get back to full speed and back to how he was playing with the Pioneers.
"I think there's still a lot to improve in my game, especially on the D-side of the puck at this level," Behrens said. "I thought I had a good start to camp and obviously this game will give you some confidence. So, yeah, kind of building every day."
Behrens spent most of this past offseason at DU training with fellow alums and other local pros, so it's not like he's gone far from his old proving grounds since he signed his NHL entry-level contract in April 2024.
Still, he relishes each opportunity to come back to the place where he put his own stamp on the program's legacy and where he developed as a player and person.
"I wouldn't be in the situation where I am now without this place," Behrens said. "So it's awesome to come back and even though it's a different team (with the Avalanche). It's awesome; it's a blast to play here."
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