Gophers

Gophers forward Garrett Wait enters NCAA transfer portal

The junior-to-be from Edina had three goals and seven assists over the past two seasons. He's the first player with eligibility remaining to leave the team.

By Randy Johnson

June 22, 2020 at 11:00PM

Gophers forward Garrett Wait (17) scored against Notre Dame goalie Cale Morris on Nov. 2 at 3M Arena at Mariucci. (Randy Johnson — Star Tribune/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

(Star Tribune/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Gophers hockey forward Garrett Wait has entered the NCAA's transfer portal and intends to leave the program, a source with knowledge of the situation said Monday.

Wait, an Edina native who will be a junior for the 2020-21 season, played 40 games in his Gophers career, collecting a goal and two assists in 19 of 38 games as a freshman in 2018-19 and two goals and five assists in 21 of 37 games in 2019-20. Wait, 22, spent three seasons with the Waterloo Black Hawks of the USHL, amassing 37 goals and 53 assists, before joining the Gophers.

The Gophers lost three players off the 2019-20 team to graduation – defensemen Tyler Nanne and Ryan Zuhlsdorf and forward Joey Maroney. Wait becomes the first to leave with eligibility remaining.

Coach Bob Motzko's team so far has three incoming freshmen – defensemen Brock Faber, Carl Fish and Mike Koster. With Wait's departure, expect Motzko to bring in at least one freshman forward.