Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize an outstanding person and a friend. Don Lucia started playing hockey on outdoor rinks in northern Minnesota as a boy. After playing the game through high school and college, he became one of the most successful college hockey coaches in the country. Recently, Coach Lucia announced he will retire from coaching the Minnesota Golden Gophers men's hockey team after 19 seasons. During his tenure at Minnesota, Don's teams regularly finished at the top of the WCHA and, more recently, won the Big Ten Conference 4 out of the past 5 years. His teams also made the NCAA playoffs 13 times and won two national titles. As a player growing up in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, Don was a leader. He was disciplined, and he made everyone around him better. As a coach, he not only built winning teams, he developed young men. Don is retiring as a true ambassador for the game. While he will no longer be coaching our Minnesota Gophers, I hope Don continues to be a leader for the game of hockey and for our State for years to come. Don, thank you for leading our Gophers to victory time and time again. Good luck to you; your wonderful wife, Joyce; and the rest of the Lucia family as you start the next chapter. ____________________”