Barry Melrose dies at 70: a coach who kept explaining hockey
Remembering Barry Melrose through the connection between coaching and broadcasting: helping a viewer understand the choices behind the highlight.
Barry Melrose, the former NHL player, coach and longtime ESPN hockey analyst, died on Wednesday, 9 September, aged 70. ESPN reported that his wife, Cindy, told Steve Levy of his death. The NHL also confirmed his death at 70.
Melrose coached the Wayne Gretzky-led Los Angeles Kings to the 1993 Stanley Cup Final. He joined ESPN in 1996 and spent more than 25 years explaining hockey on television before retiring in 2023.
The coach remained part of the broadcaster
Rob Blake, who played for Melrose in Los Angeles, offered a useful connection between those careers. Recalling his former coach to ESPN, Blake said: “What he was teaching us about the game of hockey, he was teaching on TV.”
That is a substantial legacy in a sport whose decisive work can happen away from the puck. Good explanation helps a viewer follow the option a player rejected, the space a teammate opened or the defensive choice that forced a hurried play. It gives the next highlight a context beyond the finish.
A memorable television personality can draw someone into a broadcast. Blake’s recollection points to the lasting contribution behind that first impression: making a complicated game easier to understand. Melrose’s coaching and broadcasting careers belong together in that assessment.
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Questions from the stands
When did Barry Melrose die?
Melrose died on 9 September 2026, aged 70, according to ESPN.
What was Barry Melrose known for in hockey?
He coached the Kings to the 1993 Stanley Cup Final and became an ESPN analyst. Our assessment focuses on that connection between coaching and explaining the game.
Sources & further reading
Reporting supports the facts; the interpretation is our editorial view. Published 10 Sep 2026. Updated 10 Sep 2026, 04:15 CAT.
