Barry Melrose’s career stretched across the rink, the bench, and the broadcast booth, and when he died Wednesday night at 70, hockey lost one of its most recognizable voices and faces.
Melrose meant plenty to the sport while he was on the ice, but his influence only grew once his playing days were over. He spent most of his life around the game as a player, coach, and broadcaster, and his enthusiasm for hockey left a mark that went well beyond wins and losses.
As a player, Melrose skated for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Winnipeg Jets, and Detroit Red Wings. He was a defensive defenseman who finished with 10 goals and 23 assists for 33 points in 300 NHL games. Before reaching the league, he also played for the Cincinnati Stingers in the WHA and had time in the AHL during and after his NHL career.
His coaching stops included the Los Angeles Kings and Tampa Bay Lightning, but it was in broadcasting where he became a fixture for fans. Melrose joined ESPN permanently in 1995 as a color commentator and also showed up often on NHL Network. Even during his coaching return with the Lightning, he stayed tied to the media side of the sport.
That overlap was on display when he returned to ESPN on January 1st, 2009, to cover the Winter Classic between the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks at Wrigley Field. He kept broadcasting until 2023, when he retired after a Parkinson's disease diagnosis so he could spend more time with his family.
One team saw more of Melrose than any other during his NHL playing career: the Blackhawks. He appeared in 23 games against Chicago, which was just one more than the 22 games he played against the Blues.
Melrose also did some damage against Chicago on the scoresheet. One of his 10 career goals came against the Blackhawks, when he scored on Tony Esposito on March 22nd, 1982, with Stew Gavin drawing the assist. That same day, Melrose picked up one of his 23 career assists by helping set up a Rocky Saganiuk goal.
In total, he had three points against Chicago. The final one came nearly a year later, on March 20th, 1983, when he assisted on a Peter Ihnacak goal against Murray Bannerman.
Melrose spent three seasons with the Maple Leafs and was behind the bench as an opponent for one of Toronto’s most crushing playoff defeats in the 90s.
It is never easy to say goodbye to someone like Barry Melrose, but it is easy to think about how much good he did for the game we love. Cooler than cool.