While the Michigan football team is struggling mightily, the hockey program is trending in the exact opposite direction. Though the 2018-19 season was a big letdown after reaching the Frozen Four the year prior, the trajectory changed significantly when the calendar hit 2020. The Wolverines now enter the new season ranked No. 12 in the country, but there is a good chance that they outperform this initial ranking by the time the season ends.
Like it will be for every sport, this season will be full of firsts and unknowns due to Covid-19. Case in point, Michigan only has 10 of its 24 games scheduled so far, half of which will be played on a non-Friday weekday and all of which will be played against fellow Big Ten teams or Arizona State (who will act as the eighth team in the Big Ten schedule puzzle).