To celebrate the 150th anniversary of Michigan Wolverines athletics, the school has teamed up with the Bentley Historical Library to highlight various aspects of UM lore.
A story highlighted today recounts how the Michigan hockey team got its winged helmets, which we thought we'd share here. Some fans may not realize the ice Wolverines didn't always wear the same helmet pattern as their football counterparts.
Prior to 1989, the team wore plain blue helmets. Berenson introduced the winged helmets on the eve of that season's CCHA playoffs. However, it wasn't a completely original idea. In the 1971-72 season coach Al Renfrew introduced a wing design with a single stripe down the middle. The next season, it was gone and the plan helmet was back. But the '89 version stuck, becoming a symbol of Michigan hockey.
And if you don't know, now you know.