I sat down with Lou Nanne Jr. to talk about his future with the University of Minnesota, prior to the NHL draft. He explained how his family and hockey has influenced his career.

When did you start playing hockey?

“I guess I started skating at about 18 months. My dad always shows me pictures but 18 months I guess I first threw on the skates. I had one of those yellow nets that I would just walk around on the ice with to hold me up.”

Would you say that your dad kind of pushed you to skate early?

“Yea, that’s for sure. I mean my friend, Andrew Commers, and I skated in a “Girls” camp. That’s how we met and now we’re best friends. We were 3 or 4 and the girls were 7 or 8 but that was really our first ‘put together’ practice. I’d say it was my dad who wanted me to skate in the first place but I wasn’t aware of what I was doing but it stuck with me. He is in no way, shape, or form keeping me on the ice. ”

How close are you with your cousins? Your family seems to be a very close knit family.

“Yea we’re all really close. I guess it’s just probably because we live so close.”

Who is your favorite NHL team?

“I’d have to go with Chicago.”

Why?

“I like everything about their affiliation and it probably has to do something with my dad [referring to his father’s NHL career].”

Who is your favorite player you look up to as a hockey player and as a person?

“I’d have to say Jarome Iginla, he’s always been my favorite. I’ve heard he’s a good guy off the ice, so probably him. Otherwise, I don’t really know. Probably Mike Fischer.”

Is it because he’s married to Carrie Underwood?

“Pretty much.”

What are you doing in the offseason right now?

“Right now, I haven’t been skating much. I’ve been lifting twice a day. I’ve been trying to gain weight and muscle.”

What are your plans for next year?

“Next year I’m not too sure, yet. I’m still waiting to call the ‘U’ coaches and see what they want me to do.”

Do you keep in regular contact with them?

“Yea, pretty good. As good as can be I guess, especially with the last half of the season being so hectic for them. I don’t know I guess, whatever is going to get me to be better. I think I’ll probably end up leaving since high school because I don’t feel it [high school league] has too much to offer, I guess besides elite league. I think it could be to my benefit to doing a year out in juniors.”

What junior teams have you thought about?

“I guess I’m heavily thinking about Pentiction. Especially after Mario, Don’s kid, went and my former teammate, Steven Fogarty, went. They all love it out there. I guess either there or…well, I didn’t go in the future USHL draft and I waivered the past two years. I might wait and see who drafts me this year [USHL] unless I commit to going somewhere else earlier.”

Does the ‘U’ require you to play a year of juniors? Kyle Rau finished his senior year

in ‘Juniors’, do you think that could happen for you if you stayed?

“Rau had a really good senior year and my last year was not too good. I played well but I didn’t produce but regardless of that I think I might do that and come 2014 but I guess going to juniors next year would help me not do juniors another year after, if that’s the case.”

You and your cousin [Vinni Lettieri] both verbally committed to the ‘U’, is that a coincidence?

“I mean I know we talked about it. It’ll be fun being a third generation for me and second generation for Vinni and having namesake on campus. We both love the ‘U’ and both love what it has to offer academically and for hockey.”

Okay, putting hockey aside…when you went and visited the ‘U’, what were some things you decided your college has to have?

“The two schools I looked at, at the ‘U’, were the Carlson School of Management and the Pre Med school. I either want to go into one of those. They said it was hard to do med school and hockey at the same time, which I see. I’d like to be a doctor or something special after hockey but something involving business or medicine. I really like the set up of the ‘U’. It’s kind of nice having East bank and West bank and all the athletic stuff is really close."

Was going close to home important for you?

“Yea, I mean I looked out East cus’ I wanted academics but obviously I’ll get that at the ‘U’. Then my uncle was diagnosed with brain cancer and so we wanted to keep the family close. A couple of my cousins came home from UMD and came to the U of M. We do have a really close family.”

Looking back on your hockey career or throughout your whole life, is there one moment you replay in your head?

“I guess probably last summer, I messed up my ankle. I was skating at a captains’ practice and I ended up tearing a bunch of stuff in my ankle and dislocating it. We left for a family trip to Colorado the next morning and from Colorado I went to Rochester, NY for the USA tryouts. The first two days I wasn’t able to skate. I couldn’t even put my boot on. I wasn’t able to walk from the condo to the rink or anything so I called my dad and he got me a plane ticket home. I told him no, I’m already out here so I might as well stay. I ended up doing really well but my role changed and I had to work really hard up there and be physical. Because of my ankle I couldn’t move too fast. I was fortunate to be taken on the team. We went over to Czech Repulic and Slovakia.”

How do you think playing against Vinni this year or ever has motivated you or changed your game?

“Uhm, well I guess it hasn’t ever changed how I played. I tried my hardest and stuff but it’s always fun playing against him. It’s always an extra motivation to beat them.”

What do you think Vinny will think about playing with you in a few years?

“On ice we’re just like hockey friends but off the ice we’re really good friends. It might help build our friendship.”

Do you think you will room together?

“Uhmm…..I dunno about that. I mean it might be a good idea and might not at the same time. We’ll just have to wait and see.”

So growing up with your name AND playing hockey with your grandfather’s involvement you probably had a different experience than the average kid. How do you think he [your grandfather] and your dad have shaped your experience?

“I mean a lot of times I have to live up to that name which is a hard task especially for them getting as far as they have. I don’t know. I guess it’s made me more humble about everything and myself rather than living up to my grandpa’s or my dad’s name.”

Do you think your grandpa has influenced your decision in going to the ‘U’?

“It did influence a lot. He chose to come down from Canada and get an education and play hockey at the ‘U’. So, obviously it was worth it. There are a lot of things to like about the ‘U’.”

What do you think he thinks of you?

“Of me? I don’t know! I hope good things. He knows I am just going to give it all I’ve got.“

I’m not even talking about hockey…I’m talking about you as a person!

“I know I take after him a lot. He’s one of the most humble guys I know. I mean growing up I didn’t know much about my grandpa, I knew he was in the NHL and stuff but I started learning more and more.”

So was it just one of those things?

“Yea, I mean it wasn’t until we were at the Wild game and somebody said ‘HEY LOU’ and it was kind of cool and all to hear all of the people who are 30 and really love them or 80 and love him. They’re not just talking about how good he was at hockey but just a great person he is and I really see that being around him so much. I model after him a lot. I take after my dad more than anyone probably. He’s the type of guy to buy someone’s lunch behind them and take off. He’s a ‘no namer’ while he is still doing good. He’s just all around a good guy.”

What happens when you get criticized? What do you do?

“Well, I get criticized a lot. I think it’s just because I’m not ‘ordinary’. Which I like, I guess. I’m the type of guy to look around the lunchroom and see if anybody is sitting alone before going to my table. I sit with Mark; he works in the lunchroom and has a disability. I like making peoples’ days and going out of my way.”

How do you deal with people who say ‘oh he’s just Lou Nanne’s grandson’?

“A lot of times I think people feel I take what I have for granted, like having the last name of Nanne. I guess I look at my grandpa and I see him as my grandpa, my friend, rather than people seeing him or me as a predecessor.”

Was there any advice he gave you?

“When I found out how big he was, I guess he told me to carve a name for myself. He pretty much said pursue what you want.”

What’s one thing about you that’s unique as an individual?

“Maybe the satisfaction I get from making somebody’s day. I feel if I do something it’s always reciprocated but maybe not directly back but I don’t need to see that they appreciate it or anything. I just like knowing they’re better off than when I didn’t see them at first. A couple friends and I will have a check list of like compliment somebody in each class or something.”

So how was your Edina team this year?

“I guess the closer your team is off the ice then the better your team is on the ice. This was the first year where the underclassmen hung out with the upperclassmen. We were the youngest team in the state tournament.”

What was it like having your grandpa announcing?

“I mean I’ve never heard him announce me but I think it’s pretty cool how he does that.”

Did he ever say anything to you about how you played? You got a penalty; you hit that kid hard.

“Yea [laughs] I mean I felt bad. That kid used to go to Edina. He separated his shoulder. I felt bad after I heard that. He was supposed to be out for awhile but he ended up playing the next game.”

Are there certain things you beat yourself up over after a game?

“If I have a bad game I mean it sticks with me for awhile. I try to be the person I am off the ice, on the ice. So if I ever let my emotions get the best of me, I’ll feel bad but it’s just a game.”