Nate Clurman, Boulder-Born Goes Pro With Avs

Nate Clurman debuted his pro career with the American Hockey League's Colorado Eagles earlier to end the 2020-21 campaign and is eager to get the upcoming season rolling with his teammates.
To get the 2021-22 season started, Clurman spent a week in Centennial alongside other rookies at the Avalanche's development camp before facing some competition in exhibition games at the rookie tournament hosted by the Arizona Coyotes in Scottsdale.
"It's been a great past week, I feel like I'm more comfortable down here being at a couple development camps prior to this," Clurman said after practice on Thursday. "It's been up-tempo, it's been keeping us in shape and getting everyone together nice and close."

Selected by the Avalanche in the sixth round of the 2016 NHL Draft, Clurman is the second Colorado-born player to be drafted by the Avs and played with the Rocky Mountain RoughRiders hockey program before attending Culver Military Academy--the same school that produced former Avalanche defenseman John-Michael Liles.
After leaving Culver, Clurman went on to play for Notre Dame's Fighting Irish for three seasons and eventually captaining the team.

"I love Notre Dame. I loved it more every year I was there and being the captain there was a big honor," Clurman said. "I took a lot of pride trying to lead the team that last year, but I was the right time for me from a development standpoint (to go pro)."
Clurman and the Fighting Irish faced a disappointing end of their season after they were forced to withdraw from the 2021 NCAA Division I Championship due to multiple positive COVID-19 tests.
After the first day of on-ice work at development camp, Avalanche director of player development Brian Willsie said Clurman looked strong this year after bulking up this summer and has made a good impression while on the ice.
"It's always great to have a home-state guy," Willsie said. "We watched (Clurman) closely at Notre Dame and then he came out and had some time with the Eagles last year, which is always an advantage when you're going into your first pro year to get those few weeks with the American League team, he adjusted very quickly. He looked really good with the Eagles."

Clurman played nine games for the Eagles at the end of the 2021 season before sustaining a broken foot. He's healthy now and looking forward to his first full professional season in the AHL.
Making the switch from development camp to the 2021 Rookie Faceoff in Arizona, Clurman is in Scottsdale with a positive outlook.
"I'm looking to define my game, get better, play against good competition and just have fun out there," he said.