| Hockey Heaven: Articles: Twin billing suits Ferraro brothers |
by Joe Gordon Friday, February 5, 1999 Considering Peter Ferraro leads the Bruins' plus-minus ratings with a plus-10, you have to wonder if the team would be mired in a 1-8-2 mess if all 20 guys were playing just like Ferraro. It's hard to say about the Bruins, but there is a guy in professional hockey who plays exactly like Ferraro. He also looks like him and thinks like him. Chris Ferraro, property of the Edmonton Oilers and playing for Hamilton, Ontario, in the AHL, is the identical twin of Peter (6-7-13 totals in 35 games), who had an assist in the B's 5-4 loss to the New York Islanders last night at the FleetCenter. Truth be told, Chris, who was the MVP for the American team in the recent AHL All-Star Game, is actually one minute older than Peter. They were born Jan. 24, 1973, and have never been too far apart until this season, when Peter signed a one-year deal with the Bruins and Chris signed with the Oilers. The Ferraro brothers grew up on Long Island. They began playing hockey at age 6 and played together through youth hockey, high school, juniors, the University of Maine, the U.S. national team, and in the professional ranks. Peter was the New York Rangers' first-round pick in 1992, Chris the Rangers' fourth-round pick. ``We grew up playing for a local team (on Long Island) and then we traveled to get better competition down in Philadelphia . . . for the Little Flyers,'' said Peter, who hopes the Bruins sign Chris during the summer. The twins spent their freshman and sophomore years at Tabor Academy in Marion, played in the USHL in Iowa for Dubuque and Waterloo, then spent a year at Maine with the likes of Paul Kariya (Mighty Ducks), winning a national championship. They even played on the same line during their pro careers in the Rangers and Pittsburgh organizations before going their separate ways. ``My brother and I are so tight and so close that we never really wanted to be apart,'' said Peter. ``When we were looking for a college or new teams to play for, we knew it was a package deal no matter what. Fortunately, we were able to get drafted to the same team and be in the same organization for a little while. ``We could have signed at the beginning of the summer together on a pro team. But we felt maybe we'd try it separately and see if we'd both benefit from the move. Fortunately, I've been able to get the chance to play in Boston. Unfortunately, Edmonton didn't give my brother a great look at all. He deserves to be there and play at this level, because he's worked so hard and proven (himself).'' Ferraro validated the theory that identical twins are so close they have a sixth sense about each other. ``If we're in the car together driving at a time when you're thinking about certain things, my brother can lower the radio and say, `What are you thinking about right now?' '' he said. ``And I'll tell him and he'll say he was thinking about the same exact thing.'' If the Ferraro twins get what they want, they'll be on the same page next season - with the Bruins. © 1999 Boston Herald |