by Marc Weber - The Progress

November 9, 2007

Ray Ferraro will have his eyes on more than just his 16-year-old son Landon tonight when Landon's Red Deer Rebels visit the Chilliwack Bruins at Prospera Centre (7 p.m., TEAM1040.ca).

One of the all-time Western Hockey League greats, Ray Ferraro takes a keen interest in the junior loop and is eager to see Bruins stars Oscar Moller and Mark Santorelli, especially considering the pair has been tearing up the league since Ferraro last saw them play Oct. 5 at Vancouver.

"When Landon's on the ice, clearly my focus is on him," said Ferraro, a Brandon Wheat Kings legend and 18-year NHL veteran, "but I watch the game about as close as you can. I'm interested in how these kids develop and where they end up, and the difference, even in a month, can be pretty staggering."

In the last month, Moller and Santorelli have been lighting up the league to the point that they now sit one-two in WHL scoring.

Moller didn't score against the Giants the night Ferraro watched but has 19 goals in 13 games since then. And Santorelli, who played bantam for Burnaby Winter Club with Landon's brother, Matt, has 25 points over that stretch.

Consider Ferraro among those impressed.

"The knock on the two of them was that their skating was a little suspect, but I laugh when I hear that," he said, pointing to the success of NHL stars like Andrew Brunette and Jarret Stoll. "All the teams, all the scouts everywhere are seduced by speed. There are lots of guys that can skate a million miles and hour, but these guys [Moller and Santorelli] know how to play. They know how to find a seam, how to play in traffic, how to find a soft spot on the ice. You can't replace a hockey mind and, instinctually, these kids have something that other kids don't."

One thing Moller will likely never have is a spot in the WHL record book above Ferraro's name. Despite being on pace for 76 goals -- which would make him the first 70-goal man since Pavel Brendl tallied 73 times for the Calgary Hitmen in 1998-99 -- Ferraro's record-setting mark of 108 in 1983-84 is sure to stand the test of time.

"I just don't see anybody getting it," Ferraro said. "So much has changed since I set that record. The game is so much more systematic and everyone backchecks with so much tenacity.

"For a guy to score 70 goals in today's game is a very noteworthy season."

Moller, a native of Sweden, knows who Ferraro is and was aware the single-season goal record was "way up there," but he was still slightly taken aback by the total.

"Really? Wow," he said when told it was 108.

Although he is enjoying this current hot streak, Moller said he doesn't measure his performance by the stat sheet.

"I just want to come back in the room after every game and say I did my best," said Moller. "I really don't care about the goals, other than that it's great for the team."

Landon Ferraro and Chilliwack's Ryan Howse, who were selected second and third overall in the 2006 bantam draft, are awaiting the final roster announcement for Team Pacific that will compete in the 2008 World U17 Challenge.