Landon Ferraro knew who was within earshot when asked to describe his father's skating style.

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Photograph by : Claus Anderson

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"My dad had an awful stride -- it was so disgusting," chuckled the projected late first-round pick when the NHL entry draft opens Friday in Montreal. "But, at the same time, he was pretty fast."

Yes, Ray Ferraro was fast enough to fire a WHL-record 108 goals for Brandon in the 1983-84 season. Fast enough to forge a 19-year NHL career with six teams that featured 898 points in 1,258 games. So, it was with tongue in cheek that Ferraro flirted with his father's feelings.

As much as the Red Deer Rebels centre pays homage to the head of the local household that includes Olympic hockey champion and stepmother Cammi Granato, he is very much his own man. The puck pedigree is nice and the bloodlines often afforded Ferraro a longer look last season from NHL scouts, but the focused Trail native knew at an early age that he wanted to make a name for himself.

In a Grade 3 class at Atlanta, where his dad was playing for the Thrashers, the young Ferraro had to write an "I Have A Dream" speech in honour of Martin Luther King Day. His was about being drafted into the NHL in 2009.

"How a third-grader knew that was his draft year was pretty incredible to me," said the proud papa. "Since then, this is all he has talked about."

The talk is that Ferraro's speed -- he won the fastest-skater competition at the Prospects Game in January -- coupled with a nose for the net and good positioning should make the 6-foot, 170-pound forward attractive to a number of teams. His 37 goals in 68 games last season spoke of fine finish and some even saw flashes of dad in his game.

"As much as sometimes I don't like it, I can't complain," the rapid Rebel said of those inevitable comparisons. "I've done pretty well and a lot of it has to do with my dad being able to help me and get me into situations that most parents can't. Everyone is watching you a bit closer, but I wouldn't say it adds a bit more stress on your shoulders when you're playing. I'm making sure that when I'm introduced as Ray Ferraro's son, that I'm trying to get it to where I'm my own person and everything I have is from my own hard work.

"I'm not taking anything away from my dad's career -- it was pretty amazing. But that was his time. This is mine now and I'm trying to start my career off as well as I can."

While that may come across as bravado from a budding pro prospect, it doesn't surprise his father. Unlike 1982, when he was selected 88th overall by the Hartford Whalers, the elder Ferraro knows the microscope today's prospects are under is powerful. Coupled with the ongoing angst to rise in season-long rankings, it can get the better of players. Some wilt under that enormous pressure. Some embrace it.

"They're all reading mock drafts and none of it means anything," said Ferraro, who now analyzes the NHL for TSN. "They're all wrapped up in it and I understand why because I sure would be, too. But I wish I had Landon's head when I was playing. He deals with things a lot better and has a terrific sense of what is important and what isn't. I'd miss the net in practice and be furious. You're going to miss it 500 times a year and that's a lot of wasted energy.

"If you turn the screws on yourself tight because you're frustrated 10 times a year, you're down to a 60-game season."

Landon's willingness to put the rebuilding Rebels before himself while becoming a more complete player has placed him in the first-round prospect category. While his final North American ranking slipped from 13th to 18th, recognizing both ends of the ice became as imperative as strutting his offensive stuff.

It showed at the world under-18 championship. Ferraro had four points in five games and it proved he could flourish in a tough tournament against elite competition.

That's why it's not surprising that Ferraro is being interviewed by the St. Louis Blues on Thursday. They select 17th overall. TSN has Ferraro projected as the 26th overall pick.

"He's always on the right side of the puck," said Blair MacDonald of NHL Central Scouting. "If there's a turnover, he's in good position right away. And he comes back deep in his own zone to help. He's very strong defensively, as well as being an offensive threat."

Of course, this was all easier said than done. The instinct in a draft year is to pile up the points to attract attention. However, under the guidance of coach Jesse Wallin, the coachable Ferraro embraced the on-ice education to become tougher to play against.

"At the beginning of the year, I wasn't even close to a guy who could be counted on for the penalty kill or in the last couple of minutes of a game," added Ferraro. "By the end of the year, I was killing every penalty and was the guy taking faceoffs in our zone with a couple of minutes left.

"He [Wallin] told me. 'If you come back lower in your zone and help out and come with speed the other way, that's where the offence comes from.' And that's why my goals and points went up this year."

All this doesn't surprise Wallin. Like others, he has seen Ferraro evolve from a prospect who understands he'll need strength to compliment the speed and smarts he already possesses.

"He's got tremendous speed and he's got that knack to score goals that you can't teach," said Wallin. "He's got that innate ability to find the net that makes him a special player."

Those who doubt Ferraro has the fire of desire to one day make the major NHL leap, should listen to his career summation.

"I've always worked toward this and it's actually panning out," he said. "It's kind of amazing to me, but I never even considered anything else."

Father Ferraro not forgotten

The first time Landon Ferraro played in Brandon, Man., he learned about his father's WHL legacy.

They didn't name a street after Ray Ferraro, but few have forgotten that the speedster scored a record 108 goals in the 1983-84 season.

"I always knew my dad was good," said the Red Deer Rebels centre. "But when I went to Brandon, there was this older couple -- maybe 75 or 80 years old -- and they stopped me when I was going out of the rink. They had a jersey and stick that my dad had signed for them and that was the first year they had season tickets.

"It was the same year my dad set the record and that was cool. I got a picture taken in the exact same spot. Experiencing that and hearing all the stories was pretty cool."

E-mail: bkuzma@theprovince.com