ELMONT, N.Y. — "Shoot the puck."
That's the advice Lou Nanne relayed to grandson Vinni Lettieri on Tuesday, the two sitting at neighboring tables during lunch before Lettieri and the Wild faced off against the Islanders.
"Shoot the puck."
That's also what Nanne said on TV after Lettieri scored hours later, the former North Stars general manager and player chronicling the milestone from the Bally Sports North broadcast booth as the color commentator for the game.
"It was perfect timing," Lettieri said. "Everything happens for a reason, and I wouldn't take that one back for anything. So, that was pretty special."
Not only was the goal Lettieri's first with the Wild, it was key to the Wild rallying 4-2 at UBS Arena and picking up a second straight win: they were trailing 2-1 before Lettieri's wind-up from the deep slot in the second period, an equalizer that paved the way for a two-goal finish by the Wild in the third.
"You gotta take the shot when it's open," said Lettieri, who was serenaded with chants of "Lou" from the Wild bench during his goal celebration.
As fitting as the moment was with Nanne in attendance, Lettieri was already trending toward a performance like this.
After signing a two-year, two-way contract with the Wild in the summer, Lettieri was among the final cuts at training camp but was beckoned from the minors last month when fellow forward Matt Boldy was out injured and the Wild were in an early-season hole.
Since then, he's graduated to the power play and penalty kill and given the Wild steady shifts alongside Brandon Duhaime and Connor Dewar. Aside from the goal — Lettieri's first in the NHL since Jan. 26, 2022, when he was with Anaheim — he won four out of five faceoffs vs. the Islanders.
"The coaching staff has done a great job here," Lettieri said. "They put you in positions not only to succeed but to try and earn their trust, and guys have been awesome from the get-go. Minnesota Nice is a thing but coming here and playing with these guys — I've been around them for a long time even when I wasn't playing here — they've welcomed me with open arms."
But the 28-year-old Excelsior native hasn't been the only one impacted by his homecoming.
"I actually was just waking up the other day and I saw the big water tower that said, 'Edina,' and I was like, 'This is so weird not waking up in California or New York or somewhere like that where I used to play,'" Lettieri said. "It is really weird that I'm at home, but it's really special for my parents and now my grandpa to be calling this game is really cool."
Nanne watches "probably 99%" of Lettieri's games, and they chat afterward.
Following the Wild's 5-4 shootout win over the Rangers on Saturday, Nanne told Lettieri he played well.
"Yeah, but nothing yet," Lettieri responded.
A goalscorer at Minnetonka High School, for the Gophers and in the American Hockey League where he's mostly played the last six years for the affiliates of the Rangers, Ducks and Bruins, Lettieri had just one goal with Iowa before his call-up and none in his first six games with the Wild.
"When he goes five games without a goal, I know what's happening to him," Nanne said Tuesday night, at one point pausing the conversation to listen to Lettieri's second-intermission interview. "So, I'm feeling for him because I know he's feeling relief. I just saw a replay. He puts his arms in the air like, 'Thank goodness. It's finally over.'"
Another former Gopher who went on to skate in more than 600 games for the North Stars before moving into management, Nanne, 82, has a wealth of knowledge he can share, but his talks with Lettieri are more about providing support.
"Family is the most important thing for us, and we want them to do well," Nanne said. "It's all we worry about: do well, be happy, and that's it. If you're happy, I'm happy."
So, is Nanne a good-luck charm for Lettieri?
"That's what he's going to think," Nanne said.
If that's the case, Lettieri (and the Wild) should feel encouraged about the next few games, beginning Thursday against the Rangers, because Nanne will be back behind the microphone for the rest of this road trip.
When's his next TV assignment after that?
"January in Florida," Nanne said with a laugh.
