Pete LoPresti

Pete LoPresti
Date of birth	May 23, 1954
place of birth	Virginia , Minnesota , USA
size	185 cm
Weight	90 kg
position	goalkeeper
Catch hand	Left
Draft
NHL Amateur Draft	1974 , 3rd round, 42nd position Minnesota North Stars
WHA Amateur Draft	1974 , 3rd round, 45th position Houston Eros
Career stations
1972-1974	University of Denver
1974-1979	Minnesota North Stars
1979-1981	Edmonton Oilers

Peter Jon LoPresti (born May 23, 1954 in Virginia , Minnesota ) is a former American ice hockey goalkeeper . His father Sam also played in the National Hockey League .

Career

LoPresti grew up in Eveleth , Minnesota . During his junior years he went on the ice for the Eveleth High School team before the goalkeeper began studying at the University of Denver in 1972 . After he had spent his first season there as a substitute goalkeeper and had only completed four games in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association , LoPresti prevailed during the 1973/74 season as a regular goalkeeper in the University of Denver's ice hockey team. In his second season he played 38 regular season games in the WCHA and was in goal for the Denver Pioneers for 2,268 minutes , both of which were new team records for the team that have since been exceeded. He also managed a shutout . At the end of the season, The Hockey News magazine listed the goalkeeper as 30th most promising talent and third among available goalkeepers for the 1974 NHL Amateur Draft . Before the Amateur Draft, LoPresti was recommended by Scout John Mariucci of the Minnesota North Stars , who selected him with their third-round suffrage. That same year, the goalkeeper was selected in the third round of the 1974 WHA Amateur Draft by the Houston Eros . However, the goalkeeper never played for the Eros or ever in the World Hockey Association . In his debut season he was the second goalkeeper for the Minnesota North Stars behind Cesare Maniago and was used in 35 NHL games. After he had also played for the New Haven Nighthawks in the American Hockey League in the same season , LoPresti was also second goalkeeper in Minneapolis in the 1975/76 season .

After Maniago was bartered to the Vancouver Canucks in August 1976 , Gary Smith came to the North Stars as a replacement. Pete LoPresti fought for a regular place in the episode, but he remained largely unsuccessful with the team and made it into the playoffs only once in four seasons. During the training camp in the summer of 1978, he suffered an injury that made him unable to play for several months. During his injury break, he was mainly represented by Gilles Meloche and only played seven games. However, the American found himself in the role of the third goalkeeper and was sent to the Oklahoma City Stars in the Central Hockey League to gain match practice . In the 1979 NHL Expansion Draft , the Minnesota North Stars left him unprotected, so the goalkeeper was selected on June 13, 1979 by the Edmonton Oilers . After the training camp in September 1979, LoPresti decided to end his playing career for the first time because he had not succeeded in making the jump into the NHL roster of the Edmonton Oilers.

He then worked for a year in a sports shop in Minnesota before the American decided to return to Edmonton. During the 1980/81 season he was one of five goalkeepers who were used by the Oilers and only played two more NHL games. He spent most of his time with the Wichita Wind in the CHL under head coach Garnet Edward "Ace" Bailey . After ending his playing career in 1981, the American returned to Minneapolis and worked there as a salesman in a sports shop.

International

For the United States LoPresti participated in the World Championships in 1976 and 1978 and the 1976 Canada Cup in part. At the 1976 World Cup he was the goalkeeper of the Americans, with whom he finished fourth at the tournament. A few months later, LoPresti was appointed to the squad for the Canada Cup 1976 and formed the goalkeeping duo with Mike Curran . The USA finished the tournament in fifth place and LoPresti guarded the goal of his home country in two games.

Web links

• Pete LoPresti at legendsofhockey.net (English)
• Pete LoPresti at hockeydb.com (English)
• Pete LoPresti at hockeydraftcentral.com