WENATCHEE — The University of Minnesota-Duluth recently decided to push Mac Carruth’s scholarship back a year.

Shortly after that, the second-year Wild goalie decided he didn’t want to wait.

So instead of another year and a half in Junior A hockey, Carruth was traded Wednesday at his request to the Portland Winterhawks.

“It’s been brewing for a little under two weeks maybe,” Carruth said of the situation. “Duluth pushed back my scholarship and that meant I’d have to play another year of juniors, and that was something I didn’t want to do.”

While Carruth is still technically playing junior hockey — the Winterhawks are in the Western Hockey League, one of three major junior leagues in North America — as soon as he plays his first game “in the majors” he will give up his college eligibility.

“It’s kind of a weight off my shoulders,” Carruth said. “I don’t have to worry about my scholarship getting revoked, or playing bad and them being there. I can just play hockey.”

Carruth said leaving Wenatchee, his hockey home for the last year and a half, was not easy.

“That was really difficult,” he said. “Wenatchee and the Wild have really done a lot for me for the last year and a half, and it was tough to say goodbye.”

The coaching staff wasn’t overjoyed to see Carruth leave, but wouldn’t stand in the way of him advancing his career.

“We wish Mac all the best with his new opportunity in the WHL and thank him for all that he has done for the Wild,” Baxter said in a release issued by the team Wednesday afternoon.

Carruth went 18-7-1 last season and was 11-4 in 16 games so far this year.

The Wild still have two goalies on their roster. Brandon Jaeger is unbeaten (9-0) since joining the team at the start of the season, and James Adamo is 1-0 since joining the team last weekend.

Corey Voegele; 661-5223

cvoegele@wenatcheeworld.com