| Lou Nanne | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 2, 1941 Sault Ste. Marie, ON, CAN |
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
| Weight | 180 lb (82 kg; 12 st 12 lb) |
| Position | Defense |
| Shot | Right |
| Played for | Minnesota North Stars |
| National team | United States |
| Playing career | 1968–1978 |
Louis Vincent Nanne (born June 2, 1941 in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario) is a retired ice hockey defenceman and general manager who has made significant contributions to hockey in the United States.
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Nanne grew up in Ontario where he played hockey with Phil and Tony Esposito. In 1960, he enrolled at the University of Minnesota to play hockey for the Minnesota Gophers while studying business administration. At Minnesota, he would be coached by the legendary John Mariucci and would become one of the biggest stars in American college hockey during the 1960s. In 1967, Nanne became an American citizen which allowed him to play for and captain the 1968 US Olympic hockey team, alongside future Miracle On Ice coach Herb Brooks, which finished 6th at the Winter Olympics in Grenoble, France.
Signing as a free agent with the expansion Minnesota North Stars, Nanne started his National Hockey League career in 1968 following the Olympics. He would spend his entire career in Minnesota, playing 635 NHL regular season games for the North Stars through the 1977-78 season. A steady defenseman and sometime forward, he scored 21 goals in 1971–72 but was mostly known for his defensive, penalty killing abilities. Nanne played for U.S. National Team in 1976 and 1977 (years that the North Stars failed to make the Stanley Cup playoffs), participating in the 1976 and 1977 Ice Hockey World Championship tournaments and competing in the inaugural Canada Cup in 1976. Nanne also served as National Team captain or alternate in both years.
Nanne is arguably best known for his career as a general manager and coach of the North Stars and for the United States Canada Cup entries. He quickly rebuilt the North Stars into a contender after his playing career ended in 1978. The Stars would reach the Stanley Cup finals in 1981, the semifinals in 1984, and would make it to the playoffs seven consecutive seasons (1979-80 - 1985-86). This winning run would see the North Stars average over 35 wins per season, and encompass the North Stars sole 40-win season and six of the organization's ten 35-plus-win seasons. In 1988, following two seasons in which the North Stars finished well below .500 and had consecutive fifth-place finishes in the Norris Division, Nanne resigned from the North Stars citing health reasons. Nanne also served as general manager of the United States team in the 1981 and 1984 Canada Cup tournaments.
Nanne, along with USA Hockey's Walter Bush, spearheaded the campaign to have Brooks named head coach of the U.S. Olympic Hockey Team leading up to the 1980 Winter Games. Nanne, who had just been named the GM of the North Stars, offered Brooks the team's head coaching job -- but Brooks declined, saying that it was instead his goal to coach the Olympic team. After legendary Boston University coach Jack Parker turned down the job, Nanne and Bush became involved in the Olympic Team selection process and pushed for Brooks to be named coach. Brooks later coached under Nanne in Minnesota during the 1987-88 NHL season.
Since leaving his general manager positions, Nanne has been involved in Hockey broadcasting in Minnesota - most recently being the color commentator for the 2011 State Hockey Tournament. Nanne has two grandsons playing high school hockey. One, also named Lou, who plays hockey for Edina High School, and another, Vinni Lettieri, who plays for Minnetonka.
| Preceded by Andre Beaulieu |
Head coach of the Minnesota North Stars 1978 |
Succeeded by Harry Howell |
| Preceded by Jack Gordon |
General Manager of the Minnesota North Stars 1978-88 |
Succeeded by Jack Ferreira |
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