Hockey ‘Icon’ Barry Melrose Dead at 70, 3 Years After Parkinson’s Diagnosis

Beloved NHL coach-turned-hockey analyst Barry Melrose died on Wednesday, September 9, his wife, Cindy Melrose, told ESPN.

He was 70.

Raised on a farm in Saskatchewan, Canada, Barry began his hockey career in 1974 and made his NHL debut with the Winnipeg Jets in 1979. After retiring from the sport in 1987, he began a storied coaching career, including with the LA Kings. He later moved to ESPN as a sports analyst, known for his sometimes outlandish commentary.

“For more than 30 years, Barry was the unquestioned face and voice of hockey in the United States,” Steve Levy, his close friend and colleague at ESPN, told the outlet.

“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 posted to the league’s website. “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.”

Barry retired from ESPN in 2023 after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.

“I’ve had over 50 extraordinary years playing, coaching and analyzing the world’s greatest game, hockey. It’s now time to hang up my skates and focus on my health, my family, including my supportive wife Cindy, and whatever comes next,” he said in a statement, per the NHL.

“Barry was my best friend at ESPN,” fellow commentator John Buccigross wrote on X on Wednesday. “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.”

Hockey great Wayne Gretzky, who was coached by Barry when he played for the Kings, called him “bigger than any team” in 2023, per NHL. “For decades, he’s been suiting up — and I mean suiting up — for the game, for the sport, for hockey. … You see, hockey is more than a game, it’s a community — a finely tuned orchestra — and Barry was our conductor.”

Upon hearing of Barry’s death, Gretzky simply wrote on his Instagram Story, “We lost an icon of our game tonight.”

Barry is survived by Cindy and two sons, Tyrell and Adrien.