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Barry Melrose, a hockey player-turned-coach who led the Los Angeles Kings to the 1993 Stanley Cup final before going on to a long career in broadcasting the sport, has died. He was 70.
ESPN announced Melrose’s death Wednesday after his wife informed the network.
“From the flowing locks of his distinctive mullet to the flared lapels of his trademark long suit coats, Barry Melrose cut an unmistakable figure whenever you were fortunate enough to run into him at a rink or catch him on your television screen,” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said. “You were even more fortunate if you engaged him in conversation or listened to his analysis because he never failed to boost your love of the game of hockey.”
Melrose stepped away from his analyst role in 2023 after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. Wayne Gretzky at the time said Melrose was “bigger than any team.”
Melrose had a relatable everyman broadcasting style, bringing a sense of humour to his insights, and was easily recognized by his goatee and slicked-backed hair.
“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.”
From rural Kelvington, Sask., Melrose broke into professional hockey with the Cincinnati Stingers of the now-defunct World Hockey Association in 1976. He played three seasons in Cincinnati, the last alongside a young Mark Messier, and after the WHA folded, made the transition to the NHL with Winnipeg in 1979.
Melrose went on to play for Toronto and Detroit, where he ended his career after the 1985-86 season.
He finished with 10 goals, 33 points and 728 penalty minutes in 300 career NHL regular-season games, and played seven more games in the playoffs. His WHA totals were five goals, 32 points and 343 penalty minutes in 178 games with Cincinnati.
Melrose turned to coaching and led the Adirondack Red Wings to the American Hockey League’s Calder Cup championship in 1992.
The following year, Melrose was hired by the Kings, bringing colorful flare and immediate success to Los Angeles. In his rookie season, he coached a Kings team that featured Gretzky to make a memorable playoff run. They reached the Stanley Cup final before losing to Montreal in five games.
Melrose finished with a record of 79-101 and 29 ties over two-plus seasons in Los Angeles before being fired midway through the 1994-95 season.
On this week’s episode, we look at the process of how NHL coaches lose their jobs.
He was hired by ESPN in 1996 and later left broadcasting for what became a brief stint coaching the Tampa Bay Lightning in Steven Stamkos’ rookie season in 2008-09. Melrose was fired 16 games into the season following a 5-7-4 start and returned to broadcasting.
Melrose was also known for his long-ball hitting prowess in fast-pitch softball, joining fellow Kelvington-area NHL players Wendel Clark, Joey Kocur, Kelly Chase and Kevin Kaminski, among others, during the off-season in Saskatchewan to form what some called the “the toughest team there ever was.”
