Hockey player and coach-turned-broadcaster Barry Melrose dies at age 70

Barry Melrose FILE - Former Los Angeles Kings coach Barry Melrose speaks to fans as he is honored prior to an NHL hockey game between the Kings and the Calgary Flames, Thursday, Feb. 12, 2015, in Los Angeles. Melrose is stepping away from his role at the ESPN network after being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, ESPN announced Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File) (Mark J. Terrill/AP)

By Associated Press

Barry Melrose, a hockey player-turned-coach who led the Los Angeles Kings to the 1993 Stanley Cup Final before going on to a long career in broadcasting the sport, has died. He was 70.

ESPN announced Melrose’s death Wednesday after his wife informed the network.

Melrose stepped away from the role in 2023 after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. From Kelvington, Saskatchewan, the hard-nosed defenseman played over 300 games in the NHL after nearly 200 in the World Hockey Association.

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