RIP Barry Melrose, the icon who made hockey fun and relatable for a generation

The sports world is mourning a titan with news breaking on Wednesday night that legendary hockey player, commentator, coach, and analyst Barry Melrose died at the age of 70. A larger-than-life figure, Melrose served as Mr. Hockey for a generation, debuting on ESPN at the height of Wayne Gretzky’s run with the Los Angeles Kings in 1994, and leaving an indelible mark on the sport when he stepped away from the microphone in 2023. Melrose spent the bulk of his playing career as a two-way journeyman defenseman, drifting between the NHL and AHL after being called up in 1979 with the Edmonton Oilers. It was here that Melrose shared the ice with Gretzky during their rookie seasons, and the two would form an unbreakable bond that continued throughout their lives. When Melrose hung up the skates in 1987 he made a near-seamless transition to coaching, which caused him to land the top job in L.A., this time being on the bench and coaching his former teammate in Gretzky. That never came to pass, as Melrose and the Kings lost in the Stanley Cup Finals to the Montreal Canadiens in 1992-93. A position opened for Melrose at ESPN after he was fired by the Kings a year later, and it’s here where he would make his biggest mark. Melrose became not just the face of the National Hockey League alongside John Buccigros and John Saunders, but he was the United States’ Mr. Hockey when it came to announcers, carrying the same level of gravitas in the sport as John Madden did for the NFL. Known for his honest, abrasive critique, loud suits, and sporting a mullet far longer than it was fashionable to do so, Melrose always did things his own way and never changed with trends. Agree or disagree with his analysis, Melrose was resolute in giving his no-nonsense take on the sport, which was correct more often than not. Whenever there was a big game: Melrose was there. A trade that would shake up the sport: Melrose was there. An incident, suspension, or retirement: Barry Melrose and his mullet were there to offer his old-school hockey take on what happened and its significance throughout the league. In October of 2023, it was longtime colleague and friend John Buccigros who told the world that Melrose was retiring from ESPN, announcing that Melrose had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s, and wanted to spend time with his family. It’s a testament to Melrose’s towering legacy as a broadcaster that ESPN has yet to find anyone who holds a candle to his ability as a color commentator or announcer. Today we mourn a legend of the sport. A man who helped millions of Americans better understand hockey, and whose impact on the game is a huge reason for its proliferation in popularity. Rest in peace, Barry Melrose. You were one of a kind.

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