Gordon "Red" Berenson is one of the legendary names in hockey history, both in the college and professional ranks. Nicknamed for his red hair which he's carried through his career, Berenson has left a mark on the game of hockey at nearly every turn.

Berenson, a native of Regina, Saskatchewan, was one of the most successful collegiate hockey players in NCAA history as a 3-year varsity letterwinner and former captain for the University of Michigan. Berenson was an All-American in both 1961 and 1962, and his 43 goals in 1962 still stands as a University of Michigan record.

Almost immediately after his final NCAA game (literally the next night after), Berenson became to first player to jump immediately from collegiate to professional hockey, eventually playing in 9 games for the Montreal Canadians of the NHL.

Even though he tallied an impressive 261 goals and 397 assists in 987 NHL games over his career, Berenson is probably best known for having scored six goals in a single NHL game against the Philadelphia Flyers while playing for the St. Louis Blues in 1968. That's only one goal short of the all-time NHL record for goals scored in a game. He also holds sole possession of the NHL record of most goals scored in a single period (4).

Berenson also scored at least 20 goals in seven different seasons in the NHL, playing for Montreal, St. Louis, the Detroit Red Wings, and the New York Rangers. After retiring following the 1977-78 season, Berenson moved on to coaching and served as an assistant with the Buffalo Sabres of the NHL under legendary coach Scotty Bowman, before accepting the position of head coach at his alma mater of Michigan, a member of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association, in 1984.

At the helm of Michigan, Berenson had accumulated a record of 448 wins, 220 losses, and 45 ties with a winning percentage of .660 heading into the 2001-2002 season, and is a big reason for the Wolverines' return to the ranks of CCHA and collegiate hockey powerhouses.

Berenson is a member of the University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor, the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame, and the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame. He was also voted to the NCAA All-Time Collegiate Hockey Team in 1996-1997.

Sources:

nhl.com
www.goblue.com
www.ccha.com