Gordon Berenson
Encyclopedia
Gordon Arthur "Red, The Red Baron" Berenson (born December 8, 1939) is a former Canadian professional ice hockey
centre
and is currently in his 27th year as head coach of the Michigan Wolverines men's ice hockey
team.
Berenson played junior ice hockey
with the Regina Pats
, participating in two Memorial Cup
s in 1956 and 1958. In 1959, Berenson played for the World Champion
Belleville McFarlands
.
Berenson moved on to, and graduated from, Michigan's School of Business
and played collegiately at the University of Michigan
, winning All-American honors there with an NCAA-leading 43 goals in his final year.
He signed thereafter with the Montreal Canadiens
, playing five years in their system and being on a Stanley Cup
-winning squad in 1965 before being traded to the New York Rangers
, where he played parts of two seasons without success.
Seven weeks into the 1967/1968 NHL season the St. Louis Blues
acquired Red Berenson along with Barclay Plager
from the New York Rangers. It was with the Blues where he became one of the new Western Division's first great stars, leading the Blues to three straight Stanley Cup finals and being named the division's best player by his peers in The Sporting News
' annual poll each of those years.
His most notable scoring feat came on November 7, 1968, in a road game against the Philadelphia Flyers. Berenson scored six goals, including four over a nine-minute span. He became the first player to score a double hat trick on a road game. The six-goal total was one shy of the all-time NHL record (set by Joe Malone in 1920), and has been accomplished only once since.
Berenson was named team captain in 1970; however, already 31 years old, the Blues felt his skills could only decline, and traded him in what was considered a shocking deal to the Detroit Red Wings
, a multi-player trade receiving centre Garry Unger
in return. He was an impact player for Detroit for four seasons, but was having a poor fifth season when he was dealt back to the Blues. The trade rejuvenated him, and he was an effective player for three and a half more seasons before he retired after the 1977–1978 campaign.
Berenson played in the legendary eight-game Summit Series
for Team Canada against the Soviet Union
in 1972, as well as in the “old-timers” rematch of the Canada Cup in 1987. He played in six NHL All-Star Games.
Altogether, in 17 NHL seasons, Berenson recorded 261 goals and 397 assists in 987 games.
as the NHL's Coach of the Year. He returned to his Alma Mater as Head Coach in 1984 and has remained in the position ever since. Berenson has led the Wolverines to 11 Frozen Four appearances, and NCAA championships
in 1996 and 1998. In CCHA
competition, his teams have won 11 regular-season and 9 tournament titles, and the Wolverines have secured a winning record since Berenson's second year at the helm. In addition, Berenson's squads have qualified for the NCAA Tournament in each of the last 21 seasons. This is the longest streak ever in college hockey history. His all-time record as Michigan's Head Coach is 730–338–72, a record which currently places him 6th in NCAA history for career victories. The Wolverines have also won 12 Great Lakes Invitational
titles under Berenson.
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
centre
Centre (ice hockey)
The centre in ice hockey is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play is the middle of the ice, away from the side boards. Centres have more flexibility in their positioning and are expected to cover more ice surface than any other player...
and is currently in his 27th year as head coach of the Michigan Wolverines men's ice hockey
Michigan Wolverines men's ice hockey
The Michigan Wolverines men's ice hockey team is the college ice hockey team that represents the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Earning varsity status in 1922, the program is competing in its 90th season...
team.
Playing career
Started playing on outdoor ice rinks in Regina , at Rink 11 not far from his home and later on played indoors on Saturday mornings in the early years while attending high school .....Berenson played junior ice hockey
Junior ice hockey
Junior hockey is a catch-all term used to describe various levels of ice hockey competition for players generally between 16 and 20 years of age...
with the Regina Pats
Regina Pats
The Regina Pats are a junior ice hockey team that plays in the Western Hockey League. The Pats are based out of Regina, Saskatchewan and the Brandt Centre is their home arena.-History:...
, participating in two Memorial Cup
Memorial Cup
The Memorial Cup is a junior ice hockey club championship trophy awarded annually to the Canadian Hockey League champion. It is awarded following a four-team, round robin tournament between a host team and the champions of the CHL's three member leagues: the Ontario Hockey League , Quebec Major...
s in 1956 and 1958. In 1959, Berenson played for the World Champion
Ice Hockey World Championships
The Ice Hockey World Championships are an annual ice hockey tournament organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation . First officially held at the 1920 Summer Olympics, it is the sport's highest profile annual international tournament. The IIHF was created in 1908 while the European...
Belleville McFarlands
Belleville McFarlands
The Belleville McFarlands were a men's senior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey Association Senior division from 1956 to 1961. The McFarlands were based out of Belleville, Ontario, playing home games at the Belleville Memorial Arena....
.
Berenson moved on to, and graduated from, Michigan's School of Business
Ross School of Business
The Stephen M. Ross School of Business is the business school of the University of Michigan. Numerous publications have ranked the Ross School of Business' Bachelor of Business Administration , Master of Business Administration and Executive Education programs among the top in the country and the...
and played collegiately at the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
, winning All-American honors there with an NCAA-leading 43 goals in his final year.
He signed thereafter with the Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
, playing five years in their system and being on a Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
-winning squad in 1965 before being traded to the New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
, where he played parts of two seasons without success.
Seven weeks into the 1967/1968 NHL season the St. Louis Blues
St. Louis Blues
The St. Louis Blues are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team is named after the famous W. C. Handy song "St. Louis Blues", and plays in the 19,150-seat Scottrade...
acquired Red Berenson along with Barclay Plager
Barclay Plager
Barclay Graham Plager , was a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman and coach for the St. Louis Blues.-Playing career:...
from the New York Rangers. It was with the Blues where he became one of the new Western Division's first great stars, leading the Blues to three straight Stanley Cup finals and being named the division's best player by his peers in The Sporting News
The Sporting News
Sporting News is an American-based sports magazine. It was established in 1886, and it became the dominant American publication covering baseball — so much so that it acquired the nickname "The Bible of Baseball"...
' annual poll each of those years.
His most notable scoring feat came on November 7, 1968, in a road game against the Philadelphia Flyers. Berenson scored six goals, including four over a nine-minute span. He became the first player to score a double hat trick on a road game. The six-goal total was one shy of the all-time NHL record (set by Joe Malone in 1920), and has been accomplished only once since.
Berenson was named team captain in 1970; however, already 31 years old, the Blues felt his skills could only decline, and traded him in what was considered a shocking deal to the Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
, a multi-player trade receiving centre Garry Unger
Garry Unger
Garry Douglas "Iron Man" Unger is a former professional ice hockey centre who played 16 seasons in the National Hockey League from 1967 until 1983.- Playing career :...
in return. He was an impact player for Detroit for four seasons, but was having a poor fifth season when he was dealt back to the Blues. The trade rejuvenated him, and he was an effective player for three and a half more seasons before he retired after the 1977–1978 campaign.
Berenson played in the legendary eight-game Summit Series
Summit Series
The Summit Series was the first competition between the Soviet and an NHL-inclusive Canadian national ice hockey teams, an eight-game series held in September 1972...
for Team Canada against the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
in 1972, as well as in the “old-timers” rematch of the Canada Cup in 1987. He played in six NHL All-Star Games.
Altogether, in 17 NHL seasons, Berenson recorded 261 goals and 397 assists in 987 games.
Coaching career
Berenson retired from playing in 1978 and joined the Blues' coaching staff. He became the team's Head Coach midway through the 1979–80 season. A year later, he won the Jack Adams AwardJack Adams Award
The Jack Adams Award is awarded annually to the National Hockey League coach "adjudged to have contributed the most to his team's success." It has been awarded 37 times to 32 different coaches. The winner is selected by a poll of the National Hockey League Broadcasters Association at the end of the...
as the NHL's Coach of the Year. He returned to his Alma Mater as Head Coach in 1984 and has remained in the position ever since. Berenson has led the Wolverines to 11 Frozen Four appearances, and NCAA championships
NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship
The annual NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship tournament determines the top men's ice hockey team in NCAA Division I and Division III. The semi-finals and finals of the Division I Championship are branded as the Frozen Four, a passing nod to the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship - known...
in 1996 and 1998. In CCHA
Central Collegiate Hockey Association
The Central Collegiate Hockey Association is a NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey college athletic conference that operates mostly in Michigan and Ohio, although it also has members in Alaska and Indiana. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as a hockey-only conference. It holds its championship...
competition, his teams have won 11 regular-season and 9 tournament titles, and the Wolverines have secured a winning record since Berenson's second year at the helm. In addition, Berenson's squads have qualified for the NCAA Tournament in each of the last 21 seasons. This is the longest streak ever in college hockey history. His all-time record as Michigan's Head Coach is 730–338–72, a record which currently places him 6th in NCAA history for career victories. The Wolverines have also won 12 Great Lakes Invitational
Great Lakes Invitational
The Great Lakes Invitational is a four-team NCAA men's ice hockey tournament held annually at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit between Christmas and New Year as part of College Hockey at The Joe....
titles under Berenson.
Career statistics
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season Season (sports) In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an... |
Team | League | GP | G Goal (ice hockey) In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to... |
A Assist (ice hockey) In ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to two players of the scoring team who shot, passed or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate, or touched it in any other way which enabled the goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the goal. There can be a maximum of two assists per goal... |
Pts Point (ice hockey) Point in ice hockey has three official meanings:* A point is awarded to a player for each goal scored or assist earned. The total number of goals plus assists equals total points. In some European leagues, a goal counts as two points, and an assist counts as one... |
PIM Penalty (ice hockey) A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,... |
GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1961–62 | Montreal Canadiens Montreal Canadiens The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ... |
NHL National Hockey League The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States... |
4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | ||
| 1962–63 | Hull-Ottawa Canadiens Hull-Ottawa Canadiens The Hull-Ottawa Canadiens were a team in the Ontario Hockey Association Senior "A" league for 3 seasons from 1956-59. The team played an interlocking schedule in 1956-57 with the Quebec Senior Hockey League. The Canadiens then played in the Eastern Professional Hockey League from 1959-63... |
EPHL | 30 | 23 | 25 | 48 | 28 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1962–63 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 37 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 15 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1963–64 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 69 | 7 | 9 | 16 | 12 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | ||
| 1964–65 1964–65 AHL season The 1964–65 AHL season was the 29th season of the American Hockey League. The league inaugurates the James H. Ellery Memorial Award for outstanding media coverage of the AHL.Nine teams played 72 games each in the schedule... |
Quebec Aces Quebec Aces The Quebec Aces, also known in French as Les As de Québec, were an amateur and later a professional men's ice hockey team from Quebec City, Quebec. The Aces were founded in 1928, and played until 1971. The team played home games at the Quebec Coliseum from 1930 to 1971.The Aces were Allan Cup... |
AHL American Hockey League The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League... |
65 | 22 | 34 | 56 | 16 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 8 | ||
| 1964–65 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 1965–66 1965–66 AHL season The 1965–66 AHL season was the 30th season of the American Hockey League. Nine teams played 72 games each in the schedule. The league played a limited interlocking schedule with the Western Hockey League which was repeated two seasons later. The Quebec Aces finished first overall in the regular... |
Quebec Aces | AHL | 34 | 17 | 36 | 53 | 14 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 2 | ||
| 1965–66 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 23 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1966–67 | New York Rangers New York Rangers The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the... |
NHL | 30 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 1967–68 | New York Rangers | NHL | 19 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1968–69 | St. Louis Blues St. Louis Blues The St. Louis Blues are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team is named after the famous W. C. Handy song "St. Louis Blues", and plays in the 19,150-seat Scottrade... |
NHL | 76 | 35 | 47 | 82 | 43 | 12 | 7 | 3 | 10 | 20 | ||
| 1969–70 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 67 | 33 | 39 | 72 | 38 | 16 | 7 | 5 | 12 | 8 | ||
| 1970–71 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 45 | 16 | 26 | 42 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1970–71 | Detroit Red Wings Detroit Red Wings The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York... |
NHL | 24 | 5 | 12 | 17 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1971–72 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 78 | 28 | 41 | 69 | 16 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1972–73 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 78 | 13 | 30 | 43 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1973–74 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 76 | 24 | 42 | 66 | 28 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1974–75 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 27 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1974–75 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 44 | 12 | 19 | 31 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |||
| 1975–76 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 72 | 20 | 27 | 47 | 47 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | ||
| 1976–77 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 80 | 21 | 28 | 49 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | ||
| 1977–78 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 80 | 13 | 25 | 38 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 987 | 261 | 397 | 658 | 305 | 85 | 23 | 14 | 37 | 49 | ||||
Legal trouble
Berenson was charged with drunken driving and public urination in March 1994. The charges were later reduced to driving while visibly impaired, and Berenson was allowed to continue coaching the Michigan hockey team.See also
- List of college men's ice hockey coaches with 300 career wins
- List of players with 5 or more goals in an NHL game
- University of Michigan Athletic Hall of HonorUniversity of Michigan Athletic Hall of HonorThe University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor, founded in 1978, recognizes University of Michigan athletes, coaches, and administrators who have made significant contributions to the university's athletic programs...