Forward Louie Nanne, the grandson of hockey personality Lou Nanne, has de-committed from the Gophers. He said he wanted to play elsewhere to create his own identity.
He played for Penticton of the British Columbia Hockey League last season and said "I was myself more away from home than in Edina, let alone Minnesota, cause of my name.
"I loved getting away cause I felt I didn't have to play up to anything besides my potential."
Since committing to Gophers in 2011, Nanne said he couldn't help but notice negative comments made on social media about his ability on the ice.
Nanne, a second round pick of the Wild in the 2012 NHL draft, said he hasn't spent much time thinking about where he might play college hockey, but he said education is important to him and he plans to go to school next year. For now, he will play with Sioux Falls Stampede of the USHL, starting in December, after rehabbing from double shoulder surgery performed in May and July.
He would have been a third generation Gopher, following in the path of his grandfather and his father, Marty Nanne.
Louie Nanne said the Gophers coaching staff was understanding of his decision and wished him luck. He said his grandfather had the same response and encouraged him to figure out what is the best for him.
"I want to prove to others, along with myself, that I am capable and worthy of playing D1 hockey," Nanne said on Twitter. "...Also, I want to make a name for myself rather than living in my grandfathers shadow."
