Barry Melrose Dies: Gretzky-Era L.A. Kings Coach And Longtime ESPN Hockey Analyst Was 70
Developed over time first seen 2 months ago
Barry Melrose, who coached Wayne Gretzky's Los Angeles Kings to their first Stanley Cup Finals appearance and later became ESPN's leading hockey analyst for almost two decades, has died aged 70. His death was announced on Wednesday, prompting tributes from ESPN colleagues John Buccigross and Steve Levy, who both learned the news while at a hockey rink in Las Vegas preparing for the new NHL season. Melrose had stepped back from broadcasting in 2023, shortly before that year's NHL season, after revealing he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, saying it was time to focus on his health and family.
Born in Kelvington, Saskatchewan, Melrose played as a defenceman in the NHL for the Winnipeg Jets, Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings between 1979 and 1986, having earlier spent three seasons with Cincinnati in the WHA. He moved into coaching, leading the Kings to the 1993 Stanley Cup Finals in his first season with the club before two further seasons in Los Angeles, and later had a brief spell coaching the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2008-09. Known for his mullet and bold pinstriped suits, he joined ESPN in 1994, became a full-time fixture from 1996, and was widely regarded, in Levy's words, as "the unquestioned face/voice of hockey in the United States" for more than 30 years, also appearing in films such as Mystery, Alaska and Slap Shot 2.
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In short
- Barry Melrose, ex-LA Kings coach and ESPN hockey analyst, has died at 70
- He led Gretzky's Kings to their first Stanley Cup Finals in 1993
- Retired from ESPN in 2023 after revealing Parkinson's disease diagnosis
How this story developed
- 1 month ago Barry Melrose, who coached Wayne Gretzky's Los Angeles Kings to their first Stanley Cup Finals and later became ESPN's leading hockey analyst for almost two decades, has died aged 70.
- 2 months ago Barry Melrose, who coached Wayne Gretzky's Los Angeles Kings to their first Stanley Cup Finals appearance and later became ESPN's leading hockey analyst for almost two decades, has died aged 70.
- 2 months ago Barry Melrose, the coach who led Wayne Gretzky's Los Angeles Kings to their first Stanley Cup Finals and later became ESPN's leading hockey analyst for almost two decades, has died aged 70.
- 2 months ago Tributes have continued to pour in for Barry Melrose, the former Los Angeles Kings coach and longtime ESPN hockey analyst, who died on Wednesday aged 70. Colleague John Buccigross called him "my best friend at ESPN
- 2 months ago Barry Melrose, the coach who led Wayne Gretzky's Los Angeles Kings to their first Stanley Cup Finals appearance and later became ESPN's leading hockey analyst for nearly two decades, has died aged 70.
Full account
Barry Melrose, the coach who guided Wayne Gretzky's Los Angeles Kings to their only Stanley Cup Final appearance and who went on to become one of American television's most recognisable hockey voices, has died aged 70. His death was confirmed on Wednesday by his wife, Cindy, with ESPN, where Melrose spent nearly two decades as an analyst, paying tribute to a broadcaster it described as one of the sport's most trusted and distinctive figures.
Born in Kelvington, Saskatchewan, Melrose was picked by the Montreal Canadiens in the second round of the 1976 NHL Draft and made his league debut with the Winnipeg Jets in 1979, later turning out for the Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings before his playing days ended in 1986. He moved into coaching soon afterwards, and it was in charge of the Kings, from 1992 to 1995, that he made his name, leading the Gretzky-inspired side to the 1993 Stanley Cup Final — a landmark moment credited with raising the NHL's profile across the United States.
Melrose swapped the bench for the broadcast booth soon after, joining ESPN's hockey coverage in the mid-1990s and becoming a fixture of its studio shows and match commentary, instantly recognisable for his flamboyant suits and mullet. He stepped back from the network shortly before the 2023-24 season began, revealing at the time that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and wished to focus on his health and family. Colleagues reacted with shock to news of his death, with fellow ESPN broadcaster John Buccigross calling him a 'best friend' and a 'big brother figure of rock solid values', while Steve Levy remembered him as the sport's unofficial face and voice in America for more than three decades.
Beyond the rink, Melrose became something of a pop-culture presence, appearing as himself in the 1999 film Mystery Alaska, a 2001 episode of the sitcom Spin City, and the 2002 film Slap Shot 2: Breaking the Ice. He is survived by his wife, Cindy, and their two sons, Tyrell and Adrien.
Where outlets differ
From the full account, which is AI-written from the sources:
Source 1 dwells on Melrose's on-screen pop-culture appearances (Mystery Alaska, Spin City, Slap Shot 2) and quotes both John Buccigross and Steve Levy at length; Source 2 omits Levy's tribute and the acting roles entirely.
Source 2 provides fuller early-career detail — his 1976 draft by Montreal, 1979 debut with Winnipeg, and stints with Toronto and Detroit — which Source 1 does not mention.
Source 1 gives 1994 as when Melrose joined ESPN's playoff coverage before a full-time role from October 1996; Source 2 simply states he joined ESPN in 1996.
Source 2 includes an official ESPN statement praising Melrose and names his surviving family members (wife Cindy, sons Tyrell and Adrien); Source 1 does not name his sons and instead quotes Melrose's own 2023 retirement statement.
Explained simply
Barry Melrose was a Canadian former NHL player who went on to make his name as an ice hockey coach and television pundit in North America. He is best known for coaching the Los Angeles Kings in the early 1990s, when the team featured the legendary Wayne Gretzky, and for guiding them to their first-ever appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals, the championship series of the National Hockey League, in 1993.
After his coaching career, Melrose became a familiar face and voice in American sports broadcasting, working for ESPN, a major US sports network, for close to twenty years. He was widely recognised for his distinctive look, including a mullet hairstyle and pinstriped suits, and became one of the network's most prominent hockey commentators, appearing regularly on its flagship programming.
In recent years, Melrose had reduced his public role after revealing he had Parkinson's disease, a condition affecting the nervous system. His combined career as a player, coach and broadcaster meant he was a recognisable figure to several generations of hockey fans in North America.