Barry Melrose Credit: ESPN
By Matt Yoder on

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ESPN announced the passing of legendary hockey analyst Barry Melrose on Wednesday night.

Melrose first joined ESPN in 1996 after three years as the head coach of the Los Angeles Kings and a lengthy professional hockey career that spanned over 300 games in the NHL. But arguably his greatest contribution to the sport was in his decades as the face of ESPN’s hockey coverage, where his passion for the sport shined through.

While he called many games throughout his tenure, he was most well-known as a studio analyst, contributing to what must have been thousands of episodes of SportsCenter to break down the sport. And even in the years when the NHL didn’t have a significant presence on ESPN, Melrose was always there as one of the sport’s great advocates, personalities, and champions.

Melrose stepped away after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease in 2023. But as the tributes poured out from past and present ESPN colleagues, it’s clear that his impact in Bristol and beyond will be felt for many years to come.

Two men who Melrose most often shared the set with at ESPN were Steve Levy and John Buccigross.

“For more than 30 years, Barry was the unquestioned face/voice of hockey in the United States. He was a man of the people, a family man, a part of my family. Tonight I’ll toast to the kid from Kelvington who made it big but never forgot his roots. Now he can drink all the Bud Lights, smoke all the cigars, and play all the rounds of golf he wants to. Barry Melrose was the best of us,” Levy said.

“Barry was my best friend at ESPN. 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,” Buccigross shared.

Scores of other individuals shared their own individual tributes on social media as the news of Melrose’s passing became public. And while they respected his work as a hockey analyst, all of them thought even more highly of him as a person.

Hockey surely won’t be the same without the presence of Barry Melrose. He will certainly be missed, but he will always be remembered.

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