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| Ray Ferraro | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born | (1964-08-23)August 23, 1964 (age 60) Trail, British Columbia, Canada | ||
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (178 cm) | ||
| Weight | 192 lb (87 kg; 13 st 10 lb) | ||
| Position | Centre | ||
| Shot | Left | ||
| Played for | Hartford Whalers New York Islanders New York Rangers Los Angeles Kings Atlanta Thrashers St. Louis Blues | ||
| National team |  Canada | ||
| NHL draft | 88th overall,1982 Hartford Whalers | ||
| Playing career | 1984–2002 | ||
Raymond Vincent Ferraro (born August 23, 1964) is aCanadian former professionalice hockey player and currentbroadcaster forESPN/ABC and selectVancouver Canucks games onCBC Sports/Sportsnet. He played for 18 seasons in theNational Hockey League (NHL) for theHartford Whalers (1984–1990),New York Islanders (1990–1995),New York Rangers (1995–1996),Los Angeles Kings (1996–1999),Atlanta Thrashers (1999–2002), andSt. Louis Blues (2002).
Ferraro was a prolific scorer in junior hockey, including a 108-goal and 192-point season for theWestern Hockey League (WHL)'sBrandon Wheat Kings in1983–84. He also was a member of the 1982–83Portland Winter Hawks squad that won the1983 Memorial Cup. Ferraro's teammates on the championship-winning team includedCam Neely,Mike Vernon,Brian Curran,John Kordic, and other future NHLers.
Although nicknamed "The Big Ball of Hate", he scored 408 goals and 490 assists for a total of 898 points in 1,258 NHL games spanning 18 seasons. He was named to theNHL All-Star Game in1992, held inPhiladelphia. He also had two 40-goal seasons, and (as of April 2025) ranks 103rd all-time in total NHL goals scored.
Ferraro had a memorableStanley Cup playoff run for theNew York Islanders in 1993, scoring twoovertime goals against theWashington Capitals as the Islanders defeated both the Capitals and the defending championPittsburgh Penguins. Ferraro assisted onDavid 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 championMontreal Canadiens. Ferraro finished that playoff season with team-leading totals in goals (13) and points (20).
Ferraro retired from the NHL on August 2, 2002. He has worked forESPN hockey broadcasts, including onNHL 2Night withJohn Buccigross andBarry Melrose, where he began working while still an active player.[1][2] 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 theNHL on NBC, as a colour commentator onEdmonton Oilers broadcasts onRogers Sportsnet West, and on Sportsnet's other hockey programs.
Ferraro works as acolour commentator and studio analyst forTSN Hockey, including the2010 Winter Olympics forCTV. AfterPierre McGuire left TSN for NBC/Versus, he became the lead colour commentator.[3][4] AfterRogers Media, the parent of TSN's rival Sportsnet, gained the nationalNHL rights with effect in the2014–15 NHL season, Ferraro became a colour commentator for the network's regional NHL telecasts, primarily workingToronto Maple Leafs games.
On May 5, 2014,EA Sports announced that Ferraro would be an "Inside-the-Glass" reporter forNHL 15 along with play-by-play commentatorMike Emrick and colour commentatorEddie Olczyk. The trio worked together for five years.[5] On November 23, 2015, Ferraro became the first hockey broadcaster to broadcast a game where his child also played in the same game, with theToronto Maple Leafs hosting theBoston Bruins at theAir Canada Centre.[6]
During the 2019 NHL Awards, Ferraro was promoted to lead color commentator inNHL 20.[7] Also in 2019, he andDarren Dreger started a podcast,The Ray and Dregs Hockey Podcast, hosted by TSN.[8]
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 theTampa Bay Lightning.[9][10] With Ferraro switching from NBC to ESPN, there have been repeated rumours that the lead team ofGary Thorne andBill Clement might re-partner at ESPN as well.
With ESPN regaining the rights to air NHL games, Ferraro returned toESPN/ABC for the2021–22 season, this time as lead colour commentator, sharing withBrian Boucher.[11][12][13][14] That season also saw him work him work his first everStanley Cup Finals series as a colour commentator at his ice-level analyst position. He teamed withSean McDonough andEmily Kaplan for the entire series.[15] Ferraro left TSN after the season to focus on his work at ESPN/ABC[16][17][18] and after Boucher left the network forTNT, he became the lead colour commentator on August 29, 2023.[19][20]
On September 19, 2023,Sportsnet announced that Ferraro will be a colour commentator for theVancouver Canucks regional broadcasts on Sportsnet for select games and thatDave Tomlinson will call most Canucks games.[21][22] He co-hosts a podcast withDarren Dreger called theRay & Dregs Hockey Podcast.
As a youngster, Ferraro played in the 1976Little League World Series.[23]
Ferraro currently lives inVancouver,British Columbia[24] with his wifeCammi Granato (married in 2004).
Ray has four sons, Matt andLandon from a previous marriage, as well as Riley (born December, 2006) and Reese (born December, 2009) with Cammi.
His brothers-in-law are former NHL head coachesTony Granato andDon Granato.
Ferraro was inducted into theBC Sports Hall of Fame in 2024.[25]
Ferraro was the color analyst forEA Sports' hockeyvideo games from 2014 to 2023. He was the ice level reporter starting inNHL 15, working withNBC Sports'Mike Emrick andEddie Olczyk.[5] He partnered with new play-by-play manJames Cybulski, starting withNHL 20.[26][27] Starting withNHL 24, Ferraro was replaced byCheryl Pounder.[28]
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1980–81 | Trail Smoke Eaters | BCJHL | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1981–82 | Penticton Knights | BCJHL | 48 | 65 | 70 | 135 | 90 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1982–83 | Portland Winter Hawks | WHL | 50 | 41 | 49 | 90 | 39 | 14 | 14 | 10 | 24 | 13 | ||
| 1982–83 | Portland Winter Hawks | MC | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | ||
| 1983–84 | Brandon Wheat Kings | WHL | 72 | 108 | 84 | 192 | 84 | 11 | 13 | 15 | 28 | 20 | ||
| 1984–85 | Binghamton Whalers | AHL | 37 | 20 | 13 | 33 | 29 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1984–85 | Hartford Whalers | NHL | 44 | 11 | 17 | 28 | 40 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1985–86 | Hartford Whalers | NHL | 76 | 30 | 47 | 77 | 57 | 10 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 4 | ||
| 1986–87 | Hartford Whalers | NHL | 80 | 27 | 32 | 59 | 42 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 8 | ||
| 1987–88 | Hartford Whalers | NHL | 68 | 21 | 29 | 50 | 81 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | ||
| 1988–89 | Hartford Whalers | NHL | 80 | 41 | 35 | 76 | 86 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | ||
| 1989–90 | Hartford Whalers | NHL | 79 | 25 | 29 | 54 | 109 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 2 | ||
| 1990–91 | Hartford Whalers | NHL | 15 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1990–91 | New York Islanders | NHL | 61 | 19 | 16 | 35 | 52 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1991–92 | New York Islanders | NHL | 80 | 40 | 40 | 80 | 92 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1992–93 | Capital District Islanders | AHL | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1992–93 | New York Islanders | NHL | 46 | 14 | 13 | 27 | 40 | 18 | 13 | 7 | 20 | 18 | ||
| 1993–94 | New York Islanders | NHL | 82 | 21 | 32 | 53 | 83 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | ||
| 1994–95 | New York Islanders | NHL | 47 | 22 | 21 | 43 | 30 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1995–96 | New York Rangers | NHL | 65 | 25 | 29 | 54 | 82 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1995–96 | Los Angeles Kings | NHL | 11 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1996–97 | Los Angeles Kings | NHL | 81 | 25 | 21 | 46 | 112 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1997–98 | Los Angeles Kings | NHL | 40 | 6 | 9 | 15 | 42 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 1998–99 | Los Angeles Kings | NHL | 65 | 13 | 18 | 31 | 59 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1999–2000 | Atlanta Thrashers | NHL | 81 | 19 | 25 | 44 | 88 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2000–01 | Atlanta Thrashers | NHL | 81 | 29 | 47 | 76 | 91 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2001–02 | Atlanta Thrashers | NHL | 61 | 8 | 19 | 27 | 66 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2001–02 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 15 | 6 | 4 | 10 | 8 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 4 | ||
| NHL totals | 1,258 | 408 | 490 | 898 | 1,288 | 68 | 21 | 22 | 43 | 54 | ||||
| Year | Team | Event | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Canada | WC | 9 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 8 | |
| 1992 | Canada | WC | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 | |
| 1996 | Canada | WC | 8 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 2 | |
| Senior totals | 23 | 3 | 10 | 13 | 16 | |||