Lou Nanne

Lou Nanne has one of the most storied careers of any American who has been involved in the game of ice hockey. Aside from being an All-Star player with the North Stars, he was also very involved with the game as an administrator. He served as the team's General Manager for more than a decade, was a member of the International Committee for USA Hockey and also served as Vice President of the NHL Players Association - as a member of the NHL Board of Governors, as a player, coach, GM, and president of the North Stars.

Louie grew up playing Junior hockey with Hall of Famer's Phil and Tony Esposito. From there he went on to become a member of the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers hockey team from 1959-63, under legendary Coach John Mariucci. There, in 1963, he earned All-American honors in addition to winning the league MVP and the scoring championship.

After graduating from the U of M, he was drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks. But, after a contract dispute, Nanne opted to play for the local Rochester Mustangs of the USHL, while pursuing business interests in the Twin Cities.

Then, in 1968, Nanne served as the captain of the U.S. Olympic Team. (He would also go on to captain the 1975 and 1977 USA World National teams, while serving as the assistant captain of the Team USA in the 1976 and general manager of the 1981, 1984 and 1987 Canada Cup tournaments, as well as in the 1994 World Championship.

After the 1968 Olympics, Nanne joined his hometown expansion North Stars, where he would emerge as the team's first star. Over his 11 year NHL career with the North Stars, including playoffs, he tallied 72 goals and 167 assists for 239 points. From there he became one of the league's shrewdest GM's, running the team until 1990. His 24-year run with the Stars was legendary.

A true friend to the game of hockey, Nanne has received numerous awards and honors, among them being named to the 50 Year WCHA All-Star team, and being awarded the prestigious Lester Patrick Award in 1980 for his outstanding service to hockey in the United States. Nanne is currently an Executive Vice President for Voyageur Asset Management in Minneapolis. He has become synonymous with the game of hockey in Minnesota, and is a real American hero.