Barry Melrose — Former NHL Player, Coach And ESPN Legend

Interesting death, detroit red wings, espn, national hockey league, nhl admin September 10, 2026 0 Comments

Barry Melrose — Former NHL Player, Coach And ESPN Legend — Dead

Barry Melrose, a beloved ESPN hockey analyst for over 25 years after a career as an NHL player and coach, passed away Wednesday, according to his wife, Cindy, who informed ESPN’s Steve Levy.

He was 70 years old.

In 2023, Melrose was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, which led to him retiring from ESPN. He had been with the four-letter network since 1996. (RELATED: Former NFL Scout Blaise Taylor Given Two Life Sentences For Using Cocaine To Murder Pregnant Girlfriend)

“For decades, Barry Melrose was one of the most distinctive and trusted voices in hockey,” said ESPN in a statement. “His knowledge of the game was deep, his candor was refreshing, and his passion was unmistakable. He was a foundational part of ESPN’s hockey coverage, and fans and teammates truly appreciated his entertaining delivery and charismatic personality.”

“We send our deepest condolences to his loved ones. He always kept it interesting and he will be missed.”

In his coaching days, Melrose led the Los Angeles Kings, who rostered the legendary Wayne Gretzky at the time. Serving three seasons with the team (1992-1995), he took them to the Stanley Cup Final in his first. In 2008, he briefly stepped away from ESPN to coach 16 games for the Tampa Bay Lightning.

As a head coach, Melrose had an 84-108-29 overall record.

Millions adored Melrose during his run as an ESPN studio analyst and he was praised by co-workers at the network.

Melrose was known for having a witty personality, wearing flashy suits, having a snazzy goatee, and sporting hair that looked like it was slicked back with some of the finest oil, and hockey fans everywhere ate it up. He consistently worked with Levy and John Buccigross on the hockey coverage for ESPN, which included the Cup Final, Stanley Cup playoffs and All-Star Games.