Barry Melrose, the former NHL player, coach and longtime ESPN hockey analyst, died Wednesday at age 70, the NHL announced. His wife, Cindy, told ESPN’s Steve that Melrose had retired from broadcasting in 2023 after a Parkinson’s disease diagnosis. Melrose played 300 NHL games over six seasons with the Winnipeg Jets, Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings before moving into coaching. Hired by the Los Angeles Kings in 1992 at age 35, Melrose took the Wayne Gretzky-led Kings to the 1993 Stanley Cup Final in his first year as an NHL head coach. Los Angeles missed the playoffs in 1994 and Melrose was fired 41 games into the following season, after which he built a decadeslong broadcasting career at ESPN from 1996 until his 2023 retirement. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman called Melrose a hockey original and praised his ability to boost fans’ love of the game, and Kings president Luc Robitaille and ESPN colleague John Buccigross issued heartfelt statements honoring his impact on the sport and on colleagues. Melrose’s loud suits, slicked-back mullet and conversational studio work with hosts such as Steve Levy helped bring hockey to a broader U.S. audience for more than a quarter century.
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