Ray Ferraro

Raymond Vincent Ferraro (born August 23, 1964) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and current broadcaster for ESPN/ABC and select regional Vancouver Canucks games on Sportsnet. He played for 18 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Hartford Whalers (1984–1990), New York Islanders (1990–1995), New York Rangers (1995–1996), Los Angeles Kings (1996–1999), Atlanta Thrashers (1999–2002), and St. Louis Blues (2002).

Playing career

Ferraro was a prolific scorer in junior hockey, including a 108-goal and 192-point season for the Western Hockey League (WHL)'s Brandon Wheat Kings in 1983–84. He also was a member of the 1982–83 Portland Winter Hawks squad that won the 1983 Memorial Cup. Ferraro's teammates on the championship-winning team included Cam Neely, Mike Vernon, Brian Curran, John Kordic, and other future NHLers.

In his NHL career, he scored 408 goals and 490 assists for a total of 898 points in 1,258 games spanning 18 seasons. He was named to the NHL All-Star Game in 1992, held in Philadelphia. He also had two 40-goal seasons.

Ferraro had a memorable Stanley Cup playoff run for the New York Islanders in 1993, scoring two overtime goals against the Washington Capitals as the Islanders defeated both the Capitals and the defending champion Pittsburgh Penguins. Ferraro assisted on David Volek's game- and series-winning goal during overtime of Game 7 against the Penguins. The goal advanced the Islanders to the Wales Conference Finals, which they lost to the eventual champion Montreal Canadiens. Ferraro finished that playoff season with team-leading totals in goals (13) and points (20).

Broadcasting

Ferraro retired from the NHL on August 2, 2002. He has worked for ESPN hockey broadcasts, including on NHL 2Night with John Buccigross and Barry Melrose, where he began working while still an active player. On that show, Ferraro was often referred to as "Chicken Parm" by Buccigross after an accident with Chicken Parmesan moments before going on the air. He later worked as a studio analyst for the NHL on NBC, as a colour commentator on Edmonton Oilers broadcasts on Rogers Sportsnet West, and on Sportsnet's other hockey programs.

Ferraro works as a colour commentator and studio analyst for TSN Hockey, including the 2010 Winter Olympics for CTV. After Pierre McGuire left TSN for NBC/Versus, he became the lead colour commentator. After Rogers Media, the parent of TSN's rival Sportsnet, gained the national NHL rights with effect in the 2014–15 NHL season, Ferraro became a colour commentator for the network's regional NHL telecasts, primarily working Toronto Maple Leafs games.

On May 5, 2014, EA Sports announced that Ferraro would be an "Inside-the-Glass" reporter for NHL 15 along with play-by-play commentator Mike Emrick and colour commentator Eddie Olczyk. The trio worked together for five years. On November 23, 2015, Ferraro became the first hockey broadcaster to broadcast a game where his child also played in the same game, with the Toronto Maple Leafs hosting the Boston Bruins at the Air Canada Centre.

During the 2019 NHL Awards, Ferraro was promoted to lead color commentator in NHL 20. Also in 2019, he and Darren Dreger started a podcast, The Ray and Dregs Hockey Podcast, hosted by TSN.

On April 7, 2008, Ferraro returned to ESPN to call his first-ever Frozen Four as a replacement for Barry Melrose, who left ESPN to coach the Tampa Bay Lightning. With Ferraro switching from NBC to ESPN, there have been repeated rumours that the lead team of Gary Thorne and Bill Clement might re-partner at ESPN as well.

With ESPN regaining the rights to air NHL games, Ferraro returned to ESPN/ABC for the 2021–22 season, this time as lead colour commentator, sharing with Brian Boucher. That season also saw him work him work his first ever Stanley Cup Finals series as a colour commentator at his ice-level analyst position, and he teamed with Sean McDonough and Emily Kaplan for the entire series. Ferraro left TSN after the season to focus on his work at ESPN/ABC and after Boucher left the network for TNT, he became the lead colour commentator on August 29, 2023.

On September 19, 2023, Sportsnet announced that Ferraro will be a colour commentator for the Vancouver Canucks regional broadcasts on Sportsnet for select games and that Dave Tomlinson will call most Canucks games. He co-hosts a podcast with Darren Dreger called the Ray & Dregs Hockey Podcast.

Personal life

As a youngster, Ferraro played in the 1976 Little League World Series.

Ferraro currently lives in Vancouver, British Columbia with his wife Cammi Granato (married in 2004).

Ray has four sons, Matt and Landon from a previous marriage, as well as Riley (born December, 2006) and Reese (born December, 2009) with Cammi.

His brothers-in-law are former NHLer Tony Granato and current NHL head coach Don Granato.

Transactions

• November 13, 1990 — Traded by the Hartford Whalers to the New York Islanders in exchange for Doug Crossman
• August 9, 1995 — Signed as a free agent with the New York Rangers
• March 14, 1996 — Traded by the New York Rangers, along with Ian Laperrière, Nathan LaFayette, Mattias Norström and New York's 1997 fourth-round draft choice (Tomi Kallarsson), to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for Jari Kurri, Marty McSorley and Shane Churla
• August 9, 1999 – Signed as a free agent with the Atlanta Thrashers
• March 18, 2002 — Traded by the Atlanta Thrashers to the St. Louis Blues in exchange for a 2002 fourth-round draft choice

Video games

Ferraro was the color analyst for EA Sports' hockey video games from 2014 to 2023. He was the ice level reporter starting in NHL 15, working with NBC Sports' Mike Emrick and Eddie Olczyk. He partnered with new play-by-play man James Cybulski, starting with NHL 20. Starting with NHL 24, Ferraro will be replaced with Cheryl Pounder.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

International

Awards

• Bob Brownridge Memorial Trophy (WHL leading scorer) – 1984
• WHL East First All-Star Team – 1984

See also

• Captain (ice hockey)
• List of NHL players with 1000 games played

References

External links

• Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database
• Ray Ferraro on X

1. Atlanta Thrashers
2. NHL on ABC
3. List of NHL on ESPN personalities
4. Ferraro
5. List of Edmonton Oilers broadcasters
6. Cheryl Pounder
7. List of NHL on TSN commentating crews
8. NHL Radio
9. NHL (video game series)
10. 1993 Stanley Cup playoffs
11. Patrik Laine
12. Landon Ferraro
13. Chris Cuthbert
14. 2024 Stanley Cup Finals
15. List of Stanley Cup Finals broadcasters
16. Hartford Whalers
17. List of The Sports Network personalities
18. Brandon Wheat Kings
19. 2023–24 NHL season
20. NHL on ESPN