Resilient by Nature: Sean Behrens’ Road from Injury to the Pros
by Christian Moreno
Nov 11, 2025
The road to professional hockey has been a difficult one for Colorado Eagles defenseman Sean Behrens. Starting his rookie season after not playing all of last season, his path has been nothing short of triumphs and tribulations for the 22-year-old Barrington, Illinois, native.
At the beginning of the 2024-25 season, Behrens suffered a season-ending knee injury that took him out for his rookie season in the AHL. During training camp, Behrens tore his ACL and was forced to wait longer than expected for surgery, which pushed his rehabilitation process back even further.
"For a good two and a half months, I couldn't really move my leg and couldn't walk very well. There were some really tough times in that span," Behrens said. "But being here in Loveland, having the support staff and the guys around really pushed me through rehab and helped me get back onto the ice, and I couldn't be more thankful for everyone that was involved in that."
Before his injury, Behrens played one game in an Eagles sweater at the end of the 2023-24 season, recording an assist, showing the organization his ability right away.
Being a fresh 22-year-old is difficult; navigating life as a professional player is hard enough, but tacking on a season-ending injury in what was supposed to be your welcome-to-the-pro-life season can take a toll on one's mindset.
"It was a grind, it was something where you're moving forward, but there are a lot of days that are down where you don't see a lot of progress, and that aspect is really tough. Because it's such a long recovery, you're going to have good and bad days, but you gotta push through. It sucked, it was a mental battle, but I got through it and am ready to get going," Behrens explained.
It's important to have people around you who can drastically improve a situation, and for Behrens, there were many people within the Eagles organization who played a part in getting him back on the ice.
"A guy like Matt Stienburg, who missed a lot of time last year and having him in the training room is big for me, having a buddy in there. As well as the d-corps and watching them and learning from them was huge. Along with our veteran guys like (Keaton) Middleton, who I trained with, and they're great human beings, so you can talk to them whenever, and I'm thankful to have them here." Behrens said.
Before his professional career began, Behrens played three seasons at the University of Denver, where he earned accolades with the Pioneers. Those accolades included winning two national championships with the Pioneers and being a key contributor on the blue line each of his three seasons. Behrens also won the NCHC's best defensive defenseman award at the end of the 2023-24 season.
During his Denver career, he averaged just under a point per game, scoring 81 points in 112 collegiate games; he also posted an eye-opening plus-45, showcasing his strong defensive abilities for the Pioneers.
"My time at Denver taught me a lot, especially when it comes to the little details. Coach (David) Carle does a great job of that, making us play the game the right way and doing the right things, or you're not going to play or have success there. You see that with a lot of guys making the jump from Denver into their pro career," Behrens explained.
As the 2025-26 AHL season starts, there is a lot of anticipation inside the Eagles organization and fanbase for number two and finally seeing what he can do at the professional level.
"I'm trying to get back to where I was before and keep growing. There's a lot of ups and downs in pro hockey, and missing a year hurts a lot, but I'm excited to play games again and get back to winning games," Behrens said.
The start of Sean Behren's professional hockey career has been an unorthodox one, but his journey has been one of trials, lessons, and unwavering determination.
