Avs take DU freshman Sean Behrens with 2nd-round pick

With the 61st pick in the NHL draft, the Colorado Avalanche were proud to select defenseman Sean Behrens just now.

Behrens, 18, is from Barrington, Illinois and will enroll at the University of Denver this fall as an incoming freshman. He’s listed at 5-10, 177 pounds. Here’s some stats on the kid:

You gotta like the fact that he has some good U.S. National Team experience already, and the fact that the Avs will be able to keep close tabs on him as he plays for the Pioneers at Magness Arena. He’ll be at a good program, and I think it always helps when a player who was drafted by a team can go catch some of their games just down the road during the season. He’s a lefty shot and supposedly a good puck-mover. Yeah, the Avs already have some guys like that on the roster, but this is for well down the road. Here’s more on the kid, from the USA hockey site.

And here’s what one site, On the Forecheck, had to say about him:

Sean Behrens, a University of Denver commit, has been a steady presence on USA Hockey’s blue line during his U17 and U18 seasons. In 46 games with the program this year, he recorded seven goals and 35 points—second among all U.S. defenders behind only to Aidan Hreschuk. At the U18 World Junior Championship (WJC), Behrens also finished second on the team’s blue line in scoring with four points in five contests.

Behrens logged heavy minutes this season, averaging 20:14 of ice time per night, including over three minutes per game on the power play and over two minutes per game on the penalty kill. His 0.217 even-strength, primary points per game rank him ninth among draft-eligible USHL defenders