| Hockey Heaven: Articles Capitals sign former UMaine Standout Peter Ferraro |
Wednesday, August 01, 2001 PORTLAND, ME – The Portland Pirates announced today that their National Hockey League (NHL) affiliate, the Washington Capitals, have signed free agent right wing Peter Ferraro to a one-year contract. Ferraro, 28 (1/24/73), played two seasons at the University of Maine and helped them capture the 1993 NCAA National Championship – the first in school history—recording 18 goals, 32 assists and 50 points in 36 games as a freshman. The following season, he skated in only four games at UMaine, but posted 3-6=9 totals, before joining the United States National Team and eventually the Olympic squad, where he notched six goals in eight games at Lillehammer, Norway. “Peter is a real good addition to our organization and certainly provides depth at the forward position,” said Shawn Simpson, the Capitals’ Director of Hockey Operations. “He’s always put up good offensive numbers and we’re hoping he can do the same for us. No matter where he ends up, Washington or Portland, he’ll be a valuable asset.” “Peter Ferraro is a player who has everything we, as an organization, were looking for,” said Pirates’ Head Coach Glen Hanlon. “He has speed, he’s won two championships and he’s a very physical player.” “I’m really excited about the opportunity to play in the Washington Capitals’ system,” said Ferraro. “I’ve had some success in the NHL, and it’s obviously my goal to play there, but I’m looking forward to providing the organization with some depth. I’ve learned a lot in my seven years of pro hockey, including what it takes to win and how important it is to be a two-way player, and hopefully I can just be the full package.” Ferraro, who has scored 20-or-more goals in a season on six occasions, spent the last three years in the Boston Bruins’ system, skating in 51 NHL games and recording 6-9=15 totals. In 142 career AHL games with Providence – their top developmental club - he posted 62 goals and 80 assists for 142 points, including a team-leading 26-45=71 totals and 109 penalty minutes in 78 games last season. For his efforts, he was selected to participate in the mid-season AHL All-Star Classic in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, PA, where he won the Accuracy Shooting event in the Skills Competition and netted 1-2=3 totals as a starter in the All-Star Game. Ferraro was also selected to play in three other AHL All-Star Games – 2000 (did not play due to injury), 1997 and 1996. In addition, he has twice been selected as the League’s Sher-Wood Player of the Week. In 1999, the 5’10”, 180-pound native of Port Jefferson, NY, helped Providence win its first-ever Calder Cup Championship – awarded annually to the League’s playoff champion. He won the postseason Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award after recording 9-12=21 totals in 19 playoff games. The right-handed shooting Ferraro has played in the NHL with the Pittsburgh Penguins – where he scored his first NHL goal in October 1997 - and was a teammate of recent capitals’ acquisition Jaromir Jagr, and the New York Rangers, who drafted him with their 1st pick, 24th overall, in the 1992 NHL Entry Draft. In all, he’s totaled nine goals, 14 assists and 23 points in 88 career NHL games. His career minor league numbers, which include stints in Atlanta (IHL), Binghamton (AHL), Hartford (AHL) and Providence (AHL), are 394 games played, 182 goals, 225 assists, 407 points and 688 penalty minutes. Ferraro’s best offensive season came in 1995-96 when he finished fourth in League scoring with 48-53=101 totals – including an AHL record 27 powerplay goals, in 68 games with the Binghamton Rangers. That season, he earned AHL First-Team All-Star honors. During the 1996-97 season – also with Binghamton, Ferraro set an AHL record with 392 shots. In 85 career playoff games – including two in the NHL—Ferraro has 34-40=74 totals. Ferraro’s also enjoyed success at the International level, winning a bronze medal with Team USA and being named to the All-Tournament squad at the 1992 World Hockey Championships. He becomes the 7th former UMaine player since 1993 to sign with the Washington Capitals’ organization, joining ex-Pirates Eric Fenton (1993-94), Vince Guidotti (1993-94), Dave LaCouture (1993-94), Jason Mansoff (1996-98), Jay Mazur (1995-96) and Mario Thyer (1993-94). Mazur, with 38, was the only player to skate in more than 25 games with Portland. CAREER TRANSACTIONS: NY Rangers’ 1st pick, 24th overall, in the 1992 NHL Entry Draft … Claimed on waivers by Pittsburgh from NY Rangers, Oct. 1, 1997 … Claimed on waivers by NY Rangers from Pittsburgh, Jan. 9, 1998 … Signed as a free agent by Boston, July 21, 1998 … Claimed by Atlanta in 1999 NHL Expansion Draft, June 25, 1999 … Traded to Boston by Atlanta for Randy Robitaille, June 25, 1999 … Signed by Washington as a free agent on August 1, 2001. |