Barry Melrose, Longtime ESPN Hockey Analyst, Dies at 70

Barry Melrose, a former NHL player and coach who later served as a hockey analyst at ESPN for 27 years, died on Wednesday following a battle with Parkinson’s disease. He was 70. Melrose’s wife, Cindy, confirmed his passing to his longtime employer, with ESPN sharing a statement on his death Wednesday evening. “For decades, Barry Melrose was one of the most distinctive and trusted voices in hockey,” the sports broadcasting network shared 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.” The company’s statement added: “We send our deepest condolences to his loved ones. He always kept it interesting and he will be missed.” Melrose, who joined ESPN as a lead hockey analyst and commentator in 1996, retired from broadcasting in 2023 after receiving a Parkinson’s disease diagnosis. Prior to his work as a sportscaster, Melrose coached the Wayne Gretzky-led Los Angeles Kings between 1992 and 1995. During his first season coaching the Kings, he led the team to the Stanley Cup Final. Melrose returned to coaching in 2008, when he briefly stepped away from his ESPN duties to coach the Tampa Bay Lightning for 16 games. Other coaching credits include the Medicine Hat Tigers, the Seattle Thunderbirds and Adirondack Red Wings. Melrose was also a gifted hockey player, playing professionally for 11 seasons between 1976 and 1986. He played in 335 games as a defenseman in the NHL, lacing up for the Winnipeg Jets, Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings. Longtime ESPN collaborator John Buccigross remembered Melrose as a “big brother figure of rock solid values” in a tribute posted to X. “Barry was my best friend at ESPN,” he wrote. “A big brother figure of rock solid values. I am shook to my core. Barry gave his life to hockey and some of his ESPN family, like me, learned of his shocking death today while at a hockey rink in Las Vegas preparing for the upcoming season. Chilling and fitting–the rink was Barry’s home. A more beloved ESPN institution there has not been. We love you, Barry. Forever.”