Barry Melrose, the former Winnipeg Jets defenceman who became a coach, broadcaster and one of hockey’s most recognizable personalities, has died at 70 after battling Parkinson’s disease.
Melrose’s diagnosis came in 2023, and it led to his retirement from broadcasting after a run of more than 25 years with ESPN. By then, he had already built a career that stretched across playing, coaching and television, with a presence that made him hard to miss in any era.
Born in Kelvington, Sask., Melrose got his NHL start in the Canadian prairies and spent parts of two seasons with the Jets. He went on to play 300 NHL games with Winnipeg, the Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings, finishing with 10 goals and 33 points while piling up 728 penalty minutes. Before reaching the NHL, he also played three seasons in the World Hockey Association with the Cincinnati Stingers.
His coaching career included a memorable first year behind the Los Angeles Kings bench, when he guided a Wayne Gretzky-led team to the 1993 Stanley Cup Final. The Kings lost that series to the Montreal Canadiens in five games.
Melrose later became a fixture on ESPN in 1996, where his look and personality were as much a part of the package as his hockey knowledge. His trademark mullet, colourful suits and unmistakable style made him one of the most familiar faces in the sport’s television coverage for nearly three decades.
“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 in a statement.
“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.”
Bettman called Melrose a “hockey original” and extended condolences to his wife, Cindy, sons Tyrell and Adrien and his friends and colleagues across the sport.
Melrose did briefly step away from ESPN in 2008 to take another shot behind an NHL bench, coaching 16 games with the Tampa Bay Lightning before returning to the network.
From the rink to the bench to the broadcast booth, Melrose spent five decades as one of hockey’s most colourful figures.
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