Mike Collingridge writes...
>John H writes...
>
>> Well, I'm not the definitive truth, but I believe the correct story is
that
>> Coach Berenson was the first to go *directly* from college to the pros.
 He
>> played for Michigan and the Montreal Canadiens in the span of about 24
hours
>> (1962?).
>
>Yep. That's how I have heard it. The day following his final game as a
>Wolverine, Red boarded a train to Boston and played for the Canadiens
>that night. I believe this would have been in 1963 (his's senior year
>was 1962-63).
 
Red's senior year was 1961-62.  After the Michigan season ended, he played a
total of 9 regular-season and playoff games with Montreal.  As a hockey card
collector, the year is always hard to remember because Red's rookie cards
are in the 1963-64 Parkhurst set (which can lead one to think that 1962-63
was his first action in the NHL), but he did appear on a 1962-63 Shirrif
coin with his 1961-62 stats.  :-)
 
Who needs almanacs and encyclopedias when there are hockey cards!  :-)
 
  John H
  U Mich