On sports media: Lou Nanne having no second thoughts about stepping away from hockey tournament
After 60 years as an analyst on the boys' state high school hockey tournament, the former North Stars player and executive decided that was enough. But that doesn't mean he's slowing down.
Lou Nanne’s voice has been synonymous with the Minnesota boys’ state high school hockey tournament for 60 years. That’s what’s going to make it so odd to turn on the tournament this week and not hear him analyzing the action.
Nanne announced before last year’s tournament that he would be stepping down — the above picture was just one of the tributes Nanne received — and Edina’s victory over Grand Rapids in the Class AA championship game served as his swan song. But that doesn’t mean Nanne is slowing down.
Instead of being at the Xcel Energy Center this week to work all seven Class AA games on KSTC (Ch. 45), Nanne will be with the Wild to serve as the analyst for games in Seattle on Tuesday and Vancouver on Friday on FanDuel Sports Network.
You didn’t really think the former North Stars player, general manager and president was going to retire, right? He’s only 83 years old. Nanne still works at RBC Global Asset Management and spends more days on the road than many businessmen half his age. “When I was flying up here,” to watch the Wild play Boston on Sunday, Nanne said, “people said, ‘We’re going to miss you on the tournament.’”
Nanne, who lives in North Palm Beach, Fla., but spends part of his summers in Minnesota, said last week was different because he wasn’t preparing for the tournament.
“I would get the paper in Florida and follow the (high school games), figuring out who I thought was going to be in the tournament,” Nanne said. “Then I’d talk to the coaches. This time I didn’t have to do that. It’s different, but I feel good about it. Everything has to have an end to it and it just felt like the right time.”
Nanne worked for five television stations during his 60 years, including WTCN (Ch. 11), KSTP (Ch. 5), WCCO (Ch. 4) and KMSP (Ch. 9). KSTC took over the rights in 2004 and Nanne exclusively worked the AA games.
Former NHL players Ben Clymer and Mark Parrish will return as analysts and Wild television reporter Kevin Gorg has been added to the mix. Parrish will work the Class A title game and Clymer will replace Nanne on the AA final. Gorg was the goalie for Burnsville’s state tournament championship in 1985; Clymer and Parrish both won state titles with Bloomington Jefferson.
As for Nanne, he isn’t having second thoughts about walking away from the tournament and stays involved in hockey by working a handful of Wild games each season. “When I make a decision, I move on,” he said. “I’ve always been fortunate to be like that in all stages of my life. I think it’s easier on me if I don’t dwell on something. I think that trait probably helped me a lot when I was a general manager because I’d make a decision and that was it. I don’t second guess things.”