Pete LoPresti

Peter Jon LoPresti (* May 23, 1954 in Virginia, Minnesota ) is a retired American professional ice hockey goaltender. His father Sam also played in the National Hockey League.

Career

LoPresti grew up in Eveleth, Minnesota. During his junior time he went to the team of Eveleth High School on the ice before the goalkeeper in 1972 to study at the University of Denver began. After he had there spent his first season as a substitute goalkeeper and completed only four games in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, located LoPresti sat during the season 1973 /74, as a goalkeeper in hockey team of University of Denver. He played in his second season 38 games during the regular season in the WCHA and was 2268 minutes in goal for the Denver Pioneers, then both new team records set by teams that have since been surpassed. In addition, he also achieved a shutout. The journal The Hockey News listed the keeper end of the season at No. 30 of the most promising talents and rank three of the available goalkeeper for the NHL Amateur Draft 1974. Against the Amateur Draft LoPresti was recommended by Scout John Mariucci of the Minnesota North Stars, the him with her third-round option selected. In the same year the goalie during the WHA Amateur Draft in 1974 in the third round was selected by the Houston Aeros. However, the goalkeeper played neither for the Aeros nor ever in the World Hockey Association. In his debut season he was second goalkeeper for the Minnesota North Stars behind Cesare Maniago and came in 35 NHL games for use. After he had also played in the American Hockey League for the New Haven Nighthawks in the same season, LoPresti was also in the 1975/76 season the second goalkeeper in Minneapolis.

After Maniago was issued in August 1976 in a barter trade to the Vancouver Canucks, Gary Smith came as a replacement to the North Stars. Pete LoPresti fought in the sequence a starting place, but he remained with the team largely unsuccessful and managed in four seasons, only one time a place in the playoffs. During training camp in the summer of 1978, he retired to an injury that left him out of action for several months from the game. He was represented during his injury lay mainly by Gilles Meloche and completed just seven games. However, the American found himself in the role of the third goalkeeper and was to play matches, sent to the Oklahoma City Stars in the Central Hockey League. When NHL Expansion Draft 1979 it left the Minnesota North Stars unprotected, so that the goalkeeper was selected on 13 June 1979 by the Edmonton Oilers. After the training camp in September 1979, LoPresti decided to end his playing career for the first time since he had not succeeded in the NHL squad of the Edmonton Oilers of the jump.

He then worked for a year in a sports shop in Minnesota before the Americans decided to return to Edmonton. In the course of the season 1980/81 he was one of five goalkeepers, which were utilized for the Oilers and played only two NHL games. Most of the time he spent at the Wichita Wind in the CHL under head coach Garnet Edward " Ace" Bailey. After ending his playing career 1981, the Americans returned to Minneapolis, where he works as a salesman at a sporting goods store.

Internationally

For the United States LoPresti participated in the World Championships in 1976 and 1978 and the Canada Cup in 1976 in part. At the World Championships 1976 he was a regular goalkeeper of the Americans, with whom he reached the fourth place in the tournament. A few months later LoPresti was also appointed to the squad for the Canada Cup in 1976 and trained with Mike Curran the Torwartduo. The U.S. finished the tournament in fifth place and LoPresti was careful in two games the gate of his home country.