John Palenstein
Inducted 1990
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John Palenstein
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Inducted 1990
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Edam, Saskatchewan |
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| Years Played: 1960,1961,1962 | |
| John is from Edam, Saskatchewan and played for the Regina Pats in Regina Saskatchewan before enrolling at the University of Michigan. Playing defense in the 1959-60 and 1960-61 seasons under coach Al Renfrew, John was one of the 12 players that came from the Pats during the early 1960s. Following their friend and former Pat teammate, Red Berenson, to Michigan. John and these great players were the nucleus for teams in the 60s that averaged 16 wins per season and two trips to the NCAA championships. Quoting Red Berenson, "John Palenstein was the best every defenseman Al Renfrew every coached." In his junior year, he scored 16 points and was named to the second team all-star team. | |
| Named captain for his senior year, he and Joe Lunghammer were ruled ineligible to play hockey at Michigan because of a Big 10 age rule. Al Renfrew not only lost his only senior defenseman for the 1961-162 season, but also a great team leader and player in John Palenstein. Since John only played two seasons, he stayed on in his five-year degree program in the College of Architecture and Design and graduated in 1963. He has many memorable experiences while here in Ann Arbor and two were playing his final games in the 1960-61 WCHA playoffs against Minnesota in Minneapolis. John became an architect and assessed junior hockey talent in Western Canada. | |
| If you have additional information about this inductee, please send the information to dekersclub@umich.edu | |