Summary
This endearing story of perseverance and determination casts new light on the memorable 50-year career Lou Nanne achieved in hockey while both on and off the rink. He played in 635 NHL regular season games for the Minnesota North Stars, the only defenseman to lead the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) in scoring, and was the captain of the University of Minnesota's Gophers and the 1968 U.S. Olympic men's hockey team. Lou Nanne has done it all, and now for the first time shares his life's journey of great memories, accomplishments, and sorrows in his autobiography, A Passion to Win . Nanne takes readers into the locker rooms and onto the ice in some of the greatest NHL arenas in both the United States and Canada, talking about not only the sensational wins but also the losses that haunt him to this day. Most notably, he speaks frankly about his most harrowing struggle: the disease that nearly overcame him and resulted in his departure from hockey.
Lou Nanne captained the Minnesota Golden Gophers and the United States Olympic hockey teams and had a remarkable tenure as player, coach, general manager, and president of the Minnesota North Stars. He resides in Edina, Minnesota. Jim Bruton is the author of The Big House , A Tradition of Purple , Every Day Is Game Day , and Gopher Glory . He was a member of the Minnesota Golden Gophers football team in 1965 and 1966 and signed professional football contracts with the Minnesota Vikings and the Dallas Cowboys.