Barry Melrose Dies at 70 After Parkinson's Diagnosis Ended ESPN Career
Updated
Updated · NHL.com · Sep 10
Barry Melrose Dies at 70 After Parkinson's Diagnosis Ended ESPN Career
3 articles · Updated · NHL.com · Sep 10
Summary
Barry Melrose, the former NHL coach who became an Emmy-winning ESPN hockey analyst, died Wednesday at 70.
Melrose retired from ESPN in 2023 after a Parkinson's disease diagnosis, ending a broadcasting run that began in 1996 and resumed after a brief return to coaching.
With the Los Angeles Kings, he coached Wayne Gretzky and reached the 1993 Stanley Cup Final in his first of 3 seasons behind the bench.
A 2008 move to coach the Tampa Bay Lightning lasted 16 games before he was fired and returned to ESPN, where he remained a prominent hockey voice until retirement.