Fans who know Ferraro through his years of work as one of hockey's most popular TV analysts might forget that he was a pretty good player -- a two-time 40-goal scorer who finished with more than 400 goals and nearly 900 points in an 18-season NHL career.

The Hartford Whalers selected Ferraro in the fifth round (No. 88) of the 1982 NHL Draft after he scored 65 goals and had with 135 points for Penticton of the British Columbia Junior Hockey League. He moved on to the Western Hockey League and helped Portland win the 1983 Memorial Cup, then scored 108 goals in 72 games for Brandon in 1983-84.

Ferraro made the Whalers out of training camp in 1984 and had 28 points (11 goals, 17 assists) in 44 games during his rookie season. He blossomed into a 30-goal scorer in 1985-86, when the Whalers returned to the Stanley Cup Playoffs and won a series for the only time in their history. He scored at least 21 goals in each of the next four seasons, including an NHL career-high 41 in 1988-89.

But Ferraro's time in Hartford ended when he was traded to the New York Islanders on Nov. 13, 1990. Ferraro thrived under Al Arbour's coaching; he scored 40 goals and finished with an NHL career-best 80 points in 1991-92, then scored overtime goals in consecutive games during the 1993 playoffs to help the Islanders get to the Eastern Conference Final. He finished the postseason with 20 points (13 goals, seven assists) and set up David Volek's overtime goal in Game 7 of the Patrick Division Final that ended the Pittsburgh Penguins' hopes for a third consecutive Stanley Cup championship.

The New York Rangers signed Ferraro as a free agent on Aug. 9, 1995, and he scored 25 goals in 65 games before being traded to the Los Angeles Kings on March 11, 1996. He scored 25 goals in his first full season with the Kings in 1996-97, but struggled with injuries during the next two seasons before signing with the expansion Atlanta Thrashers on Aug. 9, 1999.

Ferraro scored 19 goals in 1999-2000, then finished with a team-leading 76 points (29 goals, 47 assists) in 2000-01. Traded to the St. louis Blues on March 18, 2002, Ferraro retired after the 2001-02 season with 898 points (408 goals, 490 assists) in 1,258 NHL games, as well as 43 points (21 goals, 22 assists) in 68 playoff games. His son, Landon Ferraro, played in the NHL with the Detroit Red Wings, Boston Bruins and Minnesota Wild.

NOTES & TRANSACTIONS

• WHL East First All-Star Team (1984)
• WHL Player of the Year (1984)
• Played in NHL All-Star Game (1992)
• Traded to NY Islanders by Hartford for Doug Crossman, November 13, 1990. Signed as a free agent by NY Rangers, August 9, 1995.
• Traded to Los Angeles by NY Rangers with Ian Laperriere, Mattias Norstrom, Nathan LaFayette and NY Rangers' 4th round pick (Sean Blanchard) in 1997 NHL Draft for Marty McSorley, Jari Kurri and Shane Churla, March 14, 1996.
• Signed as a free agent by Atlanta, August 9, 1999.
• Traded to St. Louis by Atlanta for Carolina's 4th round pick (previously acquired, Atlanta selected Lane Manson) in 2002 NHL Draft, March 18, 2002.
• Officially announced retirement, August 2, 2002.