Barry Melrose, Kings coach and ESPN hockey voice, dies at 70
Melrose, who took Wayne Gretzky's Kings to the 1993 Stanley Cup Final and spent more than 25 years as an ESPN analyst, died Wednesday.
Barry Melrose died Wednesday at 70, his wife, Cindy, told ESPN's Steve Levy. He had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2023, which led to his retirement from the network he joined in 1996.
The mullet and the loud suits were the shorthand, but the résumé was real. Melrose was hired by the Los Angeles Kings in 1992 and reached the Stanley Cup Final in his first season behind the bench, losing to Montreal in five games with Wayne Gretzky leading the roster. He coached three seasons in Los Angeles, then left ESPN briefly in 2008 to coach the Tampa Bay Lightning for 16 games.
Before that, he won a Memorial Cup with the Medicine Hat Tigers in 1987, coached the Seattle Thunderbirds in 1988-89, and won the Calder Cup with the AHL's Adirondack Red Wings in 1991. As a player, the Kelvington, Saskatchewan native was a defenseman for the Winnipeg Jets, Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings, and spent three seasons with Cincinnati in the WHA.
But a couple of generations of American hockey fans knew him from a studio desk, working alongside Levy and John Buccigross on All-Star Games, playoff coverage and the Cup Final.
"For decades, Barry Melrose was one of the most distinctive and trusted voices in hockey," ESPN said in a statement. "His knowledge of the game was deep, his candor was refreshing, and his passion was unmistakable."
Buccigross learned of the death at a rink in Las Vegas while preparing for the upcoming season. "Barry was my best friend at ESPN," he wrote. "A big brother figure of rock solid values. I am shook to my core."
Rob Blake, who played for Melrose in Los Angeles, told ESPN: "He was just a terrific person to be in charge of our team. A real big personality and he was a pleasure. He loved the game of hockey. The bright lights in L.A. were nothing for him when he got there."
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said Melrose "never failed to boost your love of the game of hockey."
Melrose is survived by Cindy and their two sons, Tyrell and Adrien.
