John E. "Connie" Pleban was an ice hockey player and head coach who led Team USA to three medal finishes at international competitions.

He retired as a player following the tournament but repeated the coaching feat two years later at the 1952 Winter Olympics.

In 1955, Pleban was named head coach at Minnesota–Duluth and helped the program begin to transition to the top level of college hockey.

He led the Bulldogs to the MIAC championship in each of his 4 years with the program, never losing a single conference game.

[4] Pleban returned to Team USA in 1961 but couldn't get the defending Olympic gold medalists to find much success.