Barry Melrose, the former NHL player and coach who became a longtime hockey analyst for ESPN, died Wednesday, his wife, Cindy, told ESPN's Steve Levy. He was 70.
Melrose was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2023, which led to his retirement from ESPN. He had joined the network in 1996 and worked alongside Levy and John Buccigross on ESPN's hockey coverage, including All-Star Games, Stanley Cup playoffs and the Cup Final. He was known for his witty personality, flashy suits and recognizable goatee, slicked-back hair and mullet.
Melrose coached the Los Angeles Kings for three seasons (1992-95), taking the Wayne Gretzky-led team to the Stanley Cup Final in his first season. He stepped away from ESPN briefly in 2008 to coach the Tampa Bay Lightning for 16 games. Overall, he had an 84-108-29 record as a head coach.
Melrose began his coaching career in 1987, leading the Medicine Hat Tigers to the WHL's Memorial Cup title. He also coached the Seattle Thunderbirds for the 1988-89 season and the Adirondack Red Wings of the American Hockey League for three seasons (1989-92), winning the Calder Cup championship in 1991.
As a player over 11 years, Melrose appeared in 335 career games as a defenseman in the NHL with the Winnipeg Jets, Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings (1979-86), finishing with 10 goals, 33 points and 728 penalty minutes in 300 NHL games. He also played three seasons with Cincinnati in the WHA (1976-79), totaling five goals, 32 points and 343 penalty minutes in 178 games.
At the time of Melrose's retirement, Gretzky paid tribute to him, 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."
