Professional hockey is making a comeback in Little League® Little League made history by inducting two star players, Meghan Duggan and Ray Ferraro, into the Little League Hall of Fame, the highest honor the league can bestow.
“Induction into the Little League Hall of Fame is the highest honor that can be bestowed upon a graduate of the Little League program. Ray Ferraro and Meghan Duggan embody the values and purpose of the Little League program and are most deserving of this prestigious recognition,” said Little League Chairman and CEO Stephen D. Keener. “Little League is more than just a baseball or softball program; these sports are simply vehicles through which our most impressionable young people learn valuable life lessons that will serve them well after their playing careers are over. Throughout their memorable childhoods on the Little League fields, Ray and Meghan have used those lessons to inspire young people around the world. We are excited to honor them as Hall of Fame inductees at the 2024 Little League Baseball World Series.”
Little League Baseball Hall of Fame® At this August's World Series, Duggan and Ferraro, along with Maria Pepe, one of the original members of the Little League Girls With Game, will be inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2024. Read on to learn more about the two hockey stars.
Meghan Duggan – Danvers, Massachusetts American Little League
Before Megan Duggan led an incredible ice hockey career that saw her win three Olympic medals and seven World Championship gold medals for Team USA, she was just a kid playing Little League in her hometown of Danvers, Massachusetts. After hanging up her cleats, Duggan played hockey at the University of Wisconsin and then played six seasons as a professional hockey player, including four years with the Boston Blades of the Canadian Women's Hockey League, where they won Clarkson Cups in 2013 and 2015, and two years in the National Women's Hockey League.
Duggan rose to prominence with the national team after making her international debut for the United States at the International Ice Hockey Federation Women's World Championship in 2007. Just three years later, she was selected to the 2010 U.S. Olympic team, scoring four goals and winning a silver medal, and was subsequently named captain for the 2014 and 2018 Olympics. In 2017, she stood up for women in ice hockey, boycotting the World Championships to help bring equal support and conditions for women in the game.
On October 13, 2020, Duggan officially retired from playing, but less than a year later, she joined the New Jersey Devils as Player Development Manager, a new position within the franchise. Duggan currently serves as the organization's Director of Player Development and, as the past president of the Women's Sport Foundation, continues to inspire women around the world. Duggan is married to former Canadian women's hockey player Jillian Ups, with whom he once competed, and they currently have three children and live in Toronto, Ontario.
Ray Ferraro – Trail Little League (British Columbia, Canada)
Growing up on the baseball fields of Trail, British Columbia, Ray Ferraro achieved every Little League player's dream of playing in the Little League Baseball World Series. Representing his local Trail Little League team, Ferraro and his teammates achieved the ultimate dream, winning the Canadian Regional Championship and earning a trip to Williamsport in 1976.
After a memorable Little League experience that saw him post a 1-2 record in the world’s largest youth sports tournament, Ferraro was drafted in ’88 and embarked on a successful career on the ice.Number Ferraro was selected fourth overall in the fifth round by the Hartford Whalers in the 1982 NHL Draft. During his 18-year NHL career, he played in 1,258 games, recording 408 goals and 490 assists for a total of 898 points and was an All-Star in 1992. In 1993 with the New York Islanders, he finished with the team's most goals (13) and assists (20), scoring two goals in overtime against the Washington Capitals in the Stanley Cup Playoffs to defeat the defending champion Pittsburgh Penguins but lose to the eventual champion Montreal Canadiens.
After hanging up his skates on August 2, 2022, he quickly turned his attention to the broadcast booth, sharing his love of the game with fans around the world. Mr. Ferraro has served as an analyst on the ESPN broadcast team since 2021 and previously served as a commentator for both the 2010 and 2018 Winter Olympics. On November 23, 2015, Mr. Ferraro became the first hockey play-by-play announcer to call a game played by his child while watching his son Landon take to the ice for the Boston Bruins. Mr. Ferraro currently resides in Vancouver, British Columbia with his wife, Hockey Hall of Famer Kamie Granato.
With their induction, Duggan and Ferraro join the ranks of many other great hockey players who have been inducted into the Little League Hall of Fame.
- Chris Drury – Class of 2009 (1989 LLBWS participant)
- Pierre Turgeon – Class of 2007 (LLBWS participant, 1982)
- Chrissy Wendell Paul – Class of 2004 (1994 LLBWS participant)
In addition to the Hall of Fame alumni, several professional hockey stars shared Ferraro’s dream of playing in the Little League Baseball World Series, including:
- Stephane Matthau (1982 LLBWS)
- Yannick Perrault (1983 LLBWS)
- Harry Zolnierczyk (2000 LLBWS)
To learn more about notable Little League alumni, visit LittleLeague.org/Alumni. If you know of a notable Little League alumnus not listed on our website, please fill out our Little League Alumni Submission Form.
About Little League® Outstanding performance award
Founded in 1988 and affiliated with Little League® The Hall of Fame is inducted annually into the Little League Hall of Fame to recognize one or more Little League graduates who have demonstrated excellence in their chosen profession and who exemplify the values they learned in Little League at an early age. Induction into the Little League Hall of Fame is the highest honor Little League can bestow.
In the bottom of the sixth inning Little League World® museum, Multiple exhibits showcase the incredible accomplishments of Hall of Fame inductees and never-before-seen artifacts and displays of iconic Little League players.®.
