Table of Contents
Ray Ferraro
A Canadian Hockey Icon
Written by Michael Iantomasi
Most people involved in the sport of hockey or the sports world in general whether they are a player, coach, or just an avid sports fan. No matter the league or status they have most likely heard the name “Ray Ferraro.” Ray Ferraro has been in the sports world scene for more than three decades now and has gained recognition for his memorable play calls and thorough knowledge of the game. Ray Ferraro, as a Canadian-born citizen, has made a huge impact not only on the sport during his career in the National Hockey League but even after retirement as the well-known “between the benches” commentator. Whether it be on the ice or in the press box Ferraro has been a driving force in the growth of this game not only nationally but worldwide and by the end of this essay hopefully it will be evident why.
Ray Ferraro grew up in Trail, British Columbia; a province known for producing quality hockey players with the likes of Joe Sakic, Steve Yzerman, and Mark Recchi. Like most Canadians Ferraro grew up playing ice hockey, though his second love was the game of baseball as he was a die-hard Boston Red Sox fan. Thankfully, hockey prevailed which was beneficial for both himself and the hockey community at large. Ferraro excelled at the sport and in his junior years managed to assist his team (Portland Winterhawks) in winning the Memorial Cup in 1983 and the following season with the Brandon Wheat Kings managed to collect an astonishing 192 points.
When some rookies are given the chance to play in the big leagues, being the NHL, some may shine in the limelight as they did in juniors while others fall victim to “false hype” as some may call it. However, Ferraro was not “false” by any measure. When Ferraro was called up to play for the Whalers in 1984, he managed to impress both his fellow players and coaches with 28 points in 44 games; an impressive first year for any rookie. Though he made a good name for himself playing in Hartford for five years, it was with the New York Islanders where Ferraro became a household name. Though the first couple of years did not go as planned as the Islanders did not even qualify for the playoffs, they redeemed themselves in the 92-93 season when they made a promising run many thanks to Ray Ferraro solely. After qualifying and facing off in the first round against the Washington Capitals Ferraro helped carry his team to a series victory with overtime winning goals in games two and three.
Ferraro was able to establish quite a reputation for himself as most people in New York and many newspaper articles the following day labelled the Canadian as a “hero.” Ferraro was not done there as he was able to notch the game 7 overtime winner against the Pittsburgh Penguins furthering their fabled playoff run. Though the Islanders did not win the cup that year Ferraro was able to restore hope to the fanbase and extend it even further, something that might not have necessarily happened if he had not scored those goals.
Though Ferraro was a dexterous, skilled NHL player he was even more of a dominant force to be reckoned with as a commentator. Though Ferraro dabbled in the art of broadcasting prior to retirement from the NHL, it was when he began at TSN that he became a driving force in the area of commentary. Previously, Ferraro worked for NHL on NBC and ESPN where he gained a sizeable following in the US and provided a Canadian perspective on the game of hockey on networks usually consisting of mostly American commentators.
Ferraro was given his first chance to expand his fanbase worldwide when he was awarded the chance to commentate at the Torino Olympics in 2006. Ferraro, with his quality analysis caught the attention of Canada’s most popular sports network, TSN, and was hired in 2008. From this moment on, he became the funny, opinionated, and boisterous broadcaster people have come to love. Ferraro in his time with TSN has yet again made a name for himself becoming the main voice of the Toronto Maple Leaf’s broadcast, arguably Canada’s most popular team. Ferraro has always kept not only that fanbase interested in their team but also all Canadians in the sport in general. People from all over the country and even parts of the US tune in on Trade Deadline Day in the NHL specifically to listen to Ferraro’s ingenious analysis of the top trades.
Ferraro has also become known worldwide for his commentary on the annual World Juniors tournament. Listening to his distinguishable voice while tuning in on Boxing Day has become a favoured tradition for many families in Canada and in many other parts of the world. Ferraro’s prowess as a broadcaster has afforded him the opportunity to cross over to the realm of virtual broadcasting in EA Sports latest rendition of NHL. His involvement in this video game series, which has become quite popular worldwide among young and old alike, has given Ferraro even more recognition as a talented broadcaster in his field as well as drawn more attention to Canada.
At the relatively young age of 56 Ferraro has garnered much recognition from both his peers and hockey fans alike. It is conceivable that he will continue to contribute to the world of hockey for generations to come as a witty, critical and objective analyst of the
December 2020
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Iantomassi, Michael. ”Ray Ferraro: A Canadian Hockey Icon.” In Archival Research of Italian-Canadian Immigration and Culture, supvr. T. Russo, issue 4: Italian-Canadians as Athletes and Community Builders: Contributions in the Sports Industry, Brock University, December 2020, St. Catherines (Sports in Italian-Canadian Communities – Italian-Canadian Narratives Showcase (italianheritage.ca)). Italian-Canadian Narratives Showcase (ICNS), Sandra Parmegiani and Nivashinee Ponambalum.