Wranglers wing Ferraro expected to skate this week

By Rob Miech

Tuesday, April 1, 2008 | 5:22 p.m.

Before Tuesday night’s game at Phoenix, Las Vegas Wranglers coach Glen Gulutzan said veteran right wing Chris Ferraro should start skating again in practice by the end of this week.

Ferraro was decked by left wing Robin Gomez, who left the Victoria bench to blind-side Ferraro with his gloved left hand, in a game in Canada on March 1.

Blood gushed onto the ice, and Ferraro needed eight stitches to close the wound. A brain scan at a local hospital showed no internal bleeding. Ferraro, 35, has been sidelined since that punch, which he called the most cowardly act he’s ever seen in his career.

Three days later, the ECHL indefinitely suspended Gomez through at least the remainder of this season and playoffs. Victoria Police found sufficient evidence to pursue legal action, and an investigation continues.

“He’s doing good,” Gulutzan said. “Chris is a pro. He’s not the first guy to be in that situation. Of course, that was uglier than usual. But Chris is a hockey player. He’s not dragging.”

Ferraro had 12 goals and 39 assists in 46 games this season. Those 51 points were second on the Wranglers at the time of the punch, and he’s now fourth on the club in points.

Gulutzan also said Ferraro is recovering from a bout with Bell’s palsy, a nerve disorder that can result in partial facial paralysis. Causes of the malady vary, but they’re vague. It can clear up, without medication, within two weeks.

After recent games, Ferraro, in a dark pinstriped suit, has looked lethargic as he talked into his cell phone and meandered around the dressing room at the Orleans Arena.

Gulutzan also suffered from Bell’s palsy during his career. It didn’t last long and he hasn’t had a recurrence.

“It just came on,” Gulutzan said. “It sounds scarier than it is, but it can scare you when it’s happening. You think you’re having a stroke. But it’s fairly common. You’re uncomfortable for a week or two.”