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 Vancouver Canucks games on CBC Sports/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.

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, becoming the first American team to win the Cup. Ferraro's teammates on the championship-winning team included Cam Neely, Mike Vernon, Brian Curran, John Kordic, and other future NHLers. He was inducted into the BC Sports Hall of Fame in 2025.

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 the NHL All-Star Game in 1992, held in Philadelphia. He also had two 40-goal seasons, and (as of April 2025) ranks 103rd all-time in total NHL goals scored. 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).

On February 28, 1999, he played in his 1,000th game. He signed as a free agent for the Atlanta Thrashers that year. He played three seasons (while being named captain in 2001). He recorded his 400th goal on December 28, 2001. He was traded to the St. Louis Blues in March 2002 for a fourth-round draft pick, where he recorded six goals in 15 games. He closed his career out with three assists for the Blues in the 2002 Stanley Cup playoffs. Prior to retiring, Ferraro served as an analyst for ESPN's playoff coverage in 1999. Among all players with at least 400 goals, Ferraro ranked sixth in shooting percentage with 18.9%. In his career, Ferraro had twelve seasons with at least 20 goals.

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. 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 NHL head coaches Tony Granato and Don Granato.

Ferraro was inducted into the BC Sports Hall of Fame in 2024.

Transactions June 9, 1982 — Drafted by the Hartford Whalers in the fifth round (88th overall) 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. Starting with NHL 24, Ferraro was replaced by Cheryl Pounder.

Career statistics Regular season and playoffs Regular season Playoffs Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM 1980–81 Trail Smoke Eaters KIJHL 40 86 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

International 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

Awards Bob Brownridge Memorial Trophy (WHL leading scorer) – 1984 WHL East First All-Star Team – 1984 Bob Nystrom Award – 1992