Lou Nanne
A Minnesota hockey institution, he transitioned from Olympic defenseman to the North Stars' long-serving GM, shaping the team for a decade.
Born 1941 (age 85)·Canadian-born American ice hockey player and general manager·Birthday: June 2·The Silent Generation
Biography
Lou Nanne's name is synonymous with hockey in the state of Minnesota. Born in Canada, he became a fixture for American hockey, first as a player. He captained the U.S. Olympic team in 1968 and then played ten seasons as a dependable defenseman for the Minnesota North Stars. But his larger impact came from the front office. Taking over as general manager in 1978, he steered the franchise for a decade, making draft picks and trades that kept the team competitive, including a run to the Stanley Cup Finals in 1981. Nanne was also a pivotal figure in international hockey, managing Team USA in multiple Canada Cup tournaments. His voice later became familiar to a new generation as a blunt and colorful television analyst. More than any single achievement, Nanne's career represents a lifelong, multifaceted commitment to the game in the American Midwest.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Lou was born in 1941, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Lou Was Born
The biggest hits of 1941
#1 Movie
Sergeant York
Best Picture
How Green Was My Valley
Lou's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1941Born
Pearl Harbor attack brings the US into WWII
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,060Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Chattanooga Choo Choo" — Glenn MillerBest Picture: How Green Was My Valley
1946Started school
United Nations holds its first General Assembly
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $5,150Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Prisoner of Love" — Perry ComoBest Picture: The Best Years of Our Lives
1954Became a teenager
Brown v. Board of Education desegregates US schools
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $8,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Little Things Mean a Lot" — Kitty KallenBest Picture: On the Waterfront
1957Could drive
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1959Could vote
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1962Turned 21
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1971Turned 30
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1981Turned 40
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1991Turned 50
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2001Turned 60
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2011Turned 70
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2021Turned 80
January 6 Capitol breach; COVID vaccines roll out globally
Gas: $3.01/galHome: $298,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Levitating" — Dua LipaBest Picture: CODA
2026Age 85 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Served as General Manager of the Minnesota North Stars for ten seasons (1978-1988), building the team that reached the 1981 Stanley Cup Finals.
- Captained the United States Olympic hockey team at the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble.
- Played his entire 635-game NHL career with the Minnesota North Stars, serving as team captain for several seasons.
- Managed Team USA at three Canada Cup tournaments (1981, 1984, 1987).
Did You Know?
He was a standout baseball player at the University of Minnesota and was offered a contract by the Chicago Cubs.
He is credited with pioneering the now-common practice of NHL teams drafting players from U.S. high schools and colleges.
He is a member of the United States Hockey Hall of Fame, inducted in 1988.
“You've got to be able to skate. If you can't skate, you can't play.”
