Barry Melrose, the former NHL player and coach died at 70
Barry Melrose, the former NHL player and coach who was a beloved, longtime hockey analyst for ESPN, died Wednesday, his wife, Cindy, told ESPN’s Steve Levy.
Melrose was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2023, leading to his retirement from ESPN. He joined the network in 1996.
Melrose served as coach of the Wayne Gretzky-led Los Angeles Kings, taking them to the Stanley Cup Final in the first of his three seasons (1992-95). He stepped away briefly from ESPN in 2008 to return to the bench, this time as coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning for 16 games.
As a studio analyst at ESPN, he was known for his witty personality, flashy suits and recognizable goatee, slicked-back hair and mullet, which endeared him to hockey fans worldwide.
He regularly worked alongside Levy and John Buccigross on ESPN’s hockey coverage, including All-Star Games, Stanley Cup playoffs and the Cup Final.
At the time of his retirement, Gretzky paid tribute to Melrose by saying: “He’s bigger than any team. For decades, he’s been suiting up — and I mean suiting up — for the game, for the sport, for hockey.
“You see, hockey is more than a game, it’s a community — a finely tuned orchestra — and Barry was our conductor.”
Overall, he had an 84-108-29 record as a head coach.
He was 70.
