# Barry Melrose Dies: Gretzky-Era L.A. Kings Coach And Longtime ESPN Hockey Analyst Was 70

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/barry-melrose-dies-gretzky-era-l-a-kings-coach-and-longtime-espn-hockey-analyst-was-70/
- Published: 2026-09-10T11:37:04+00:00
- Updated: 2026-09-10T17:43:49+00:00
- Original publisher: Deadline
- Original article: https://deadline.com/2026/09/barry-melrose-dead-los-angeles-kings-coach-espn-1237073079/

## Key points

- 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

## Summary

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.

## Coverage

- [Deadline: Barry Melrose Dies: Gretzky-Era L.A. Kings Coach And Longtime ESPN Hockey Analyst Was 70](https://deadline.com/2026/09/barry-melrose-dead-los-angeles-kings-coach-espn-1237073079/)
- [Variety: Barry Melrose, Former ESPN Analyst and Hockey Pro, Dies at 70](https://variety.com/2026/sports/people-news/barry-melrose-dead-espn-analyst-nhl-player-1236856806/)
- [Fox News: Former NHL player, coach and longtime ESPN analyst Barry Melrose dead at 70](https://www.foxnews.com/outkick-sports/former-nhl-player-coach-longtime-espn-analyst-barry-melrose-dead-70)

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.