Former NY Islanders All-Star center and ESPN broadcaster Ray Ferraro turns 60

Happy Birthday Chicken Parm!

Former New York Islanders center and current ESPN analyst Ray Ferraro turned 60 on Friday. Ferraro played 1,258 NHL games with 316 of them on Long Island after General Manager Bill Torrey acquired him from the Hartford Whalers on Nov. 13, 1990 for defenseman Doug Crossman.

Former NY Islanders All-Star center and ESPN broadcaster Ray Ferraro turns 60

“The only thing about Long Island we knew as players was the Coliseum, the Marriott Hotel, and a cab ride driving around the immediate area to try and find a restaurant,” Ferraro would say later about the trade to the Isles. “But once I actually moved to New York, I couldn’t believe how beautiful it was or how different it was. You had access to the water right there, and [New York City] was just a train ride away. There’s so much it has to offer.

The diminutive, mustached center had a short but very productive five seasons with the Islanders, scoring 116 goals and adding 122 assists. He made his only NHL All-Star game during the 1991-92 season, scoring 40 goals and 40 assists. He is best remembered on Long Island for his remarkable performance during the spring of 1993, leading the Islanders to the Eastern Conference Finals. Ferraro scored eight goals in six games against the Washington Capitals in the first round, including back-to-back OT winners in Games 3 and 4 at the Nassau Coliseum.

Playing without Pierre Turgeon in the next round against the heavily favored two-time defending champion Pittsburgh Penguins, Ferraro added four more goals and assisted on David Volek's OT winner in Game 7. He finished the post-season with 13 goals and seven assists in 18 games, one of the best playoff performances in franchise history. He scored 22 goals in 47 games the following season but signed with the rival New York Rangers in free agency as the Islanders' organization headed in a different direction.

Even before his playing career was done, Ferraro started dabbling in broadcasting on ESPN2 alongside John Buccigross. He earned the nickname "Chicken Parm" after an incident with Parmesan cheese moments before going on the air. Over time, he has become one of he better hockey analysts in the sport and was among the first "Inside-the-Glass" reporters, broadcasting the game in-between the two benches at ice level.