Former Edina star Tyler Nanne will transfer to Minnesota this fall and confirmed Monday he will play hockey for the Gophers.
Nanne, a goal-scoring defenseman with strong puck-handling skills, spent one season with Ohio State, but never played a single game. He was diagnosed with Myocarditis, inflammation of the heart muscle caused by a virus, in the summer of 2015 and has missed the last 15 months.
He posted on Instagram Monday a photo of the Gophers logo and wrote "Extremely excited to come home and join the gophers to play for the University of Minnesota."
Nanne's health became a concern for Ohio State, but after being cleared by doctors at the Mayo Clinic earlier this year, the Gophers have found a place for Nanne on their roster.
Nanne was on campus Monday for a physical and plans to file a NCAA transfer waiver in order to be eligible to compete this season. However, a redshirt season might benefit Nanne as he works to get back into shape after missing more than a year of competition.
He helped lead Edina to back-to-back state championships and was selected in the fifth round (No. 142 overall) of the 2014 NHL draft by the New York Rangers.
Nanne will team up with his cousin Vinni Lettieri, who is a senior forward for the Gophers. The cousins are grandsons of local hockey legend and former Gophers star Lou Nanne. Tyler's dad Marty also played for the Gophers.
