Los Angeles Kings
Barry Melrose, Beloved ESPN Hockey Analyst, Dies at 70
Barry Melrose, one of ESPN’s most recognizable hockey voices, died Wednesday, his wife Cindy told ESPN’s Steve Levy. He was 70.
Barry Melrose, the former NHL player and coach who became one of ESPN’s most recognizable hockey voices, died Wednesday, his wife Cindy told ESPN’s Steve Levy. He was 70.
Melrose retired from ESPN in 2023 after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, closing out a run with the network that began in 1996. “For decades, Barry Melrose was one of the most distinctive and trusted voices in hockey,” ESPN said in a statement, calling him “a foundational part” of its hockey coverage.
Before broadcasting, Melrose coached Wayne Gretzky and the Los Angeles Kings to the 1993 Stanley Cup Final in his first season behind the bench. He briefly left ESPN in 2008 to coach the Tampa Bay Lightning before returning to the network.
Known for his mullet, sharp suits and sharp wit, Melrose became a fixture alongside Steve Levy and John Buccigross on ESPN’s NHL coverage. Buccigross called him “my best friend at ESPN” in a tribute Wednesday, while Wayne Gretzky once described him as “our conductor.”
Melrose played 300 NHL games as a defenseman for Winnipeg, Toronto and Detroit before turning to coaching, eventually becoming one of the sport’s most beloved broadcast personalities.
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