Former Bruins Forward Scores First Goal For Wild Highlighted By Special Family Moment
Vinni Lettieri played just one NHL game for Boston
When former Boston Bruins depth forward Vinni Lettieri lit the lamp for the first time in a Minnesota Wild jersey there was something extra special about the call — his grandfather Lou Nanne was in the booth calling the game for Bally Sports North.
Lettieri tied the game at two for the Wild when he scored his first of the season in the second period of Minnesota’s 4-2 win over the New York Islanders at USB Arena on Tuesday night.
With the goal, Lettieri became the 21st Minnesota born player to score a regular-season goal for the Wild, according to the team’s public relations department.
“That’s pretty fun,” Lettieri said during the second intermission, per team-provided video. “All the guys on the bench were yelling ‘LOUUUU’ when I scored so that was pretty funny.”
The Minnesota native has appeared in seven games for the Wild this season after signing a two-year, two-way contract with the franchise in the offseason after spending the 2022-23 season with the Boston Bruins AHL affiliate Providence Bruins.
Entering his sixth season in the NHL, Lettieri has recorded eight goals and 11 assists across 89 games with the New York Rangers, Anaheim Ducks, Bruins and Wild. He appeared in just one game for Boston where he registered 9:50 minutes of ice time over 15 shifts and a minus-1 in the Bruins 5-3 win over the Philadelphia Flyers on April 9.
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Lettieri played in 48 games for the Providence Bruins scoring 23 goals and adding 26 assists. he had been placed on long-term injured reserve with a lower-body injury in February which caused the 28-year-old to miss 10 games.
Nanne played in 635 games for the Minnesota North Stars from 1967-1978 where he recorded 68 goals and 157 assists. After he retired from the NHL, Nanne served as the North Stars general manager until he retired in 1991. He bagan as a color analyst for the Wild in 2019.
“It’s really special,” Lettieri said after the Wild’s win, per team-provided video. “Just watching him do so many broadcasts over the years. … For him to do it for me now in the WIld uniform is really special. Hopefully, I can get the monkey off my back with him calling the games that would be fun. It’s really special and it’s really cool for our family too.”
