My earliest days as a hockey fan and my love for the greatest game on earth began in the suburbs of Minneapolis. My dad taught at the University of Minnesota, and the first game I ever saw in person was at Williams Arena when the Gophers took on Princeton. I’ve been hooked ever since.
Hockey is so very important to the culture of the people of Minnesota. From the high school state tournament to the NHL, nowhere in the United States is the game more rabidly followed. One could argue that no man in state history has had more of an impact on Minnesota hockey than Lou Nanne. Although a native of Sault Ste Marie, Michigan, Nanne played for the Gophers during his college days, and skated, coached and was the general manager of the Minnesota North Stars. For the last 40 years, he has also broadcast the state’s high school tournament on television, even while he was at the helm of the NHL franchise in Bloomington. For Capitals fans, he was also instrumental in jump starting the careers of future Caps Dino Ciccarelli and Don Beaupre. For the United States, it was Nanne that urged the U.S. Olympic Committee to hire Herb Brooks to coach the 1980 hockey team.
Despite watching Minnesota hockey in its various forms throughout my life, I never had a chance to meet Nanne until Friday night. He attended our game against Montreal, and visited the home radio booth. We talked about Herb Brooks, his time with the North Stars, Dino and Donny, Matt Hendricks, and the greatest hockey tourney in this country. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
Lou Nanne interview-on Herb Brooks, Dino Ciccarelli, Don Beaupre and more