Barry Melrose Retires as ESPN Hockey Analyst After Parkinson’s Analysis

Barry Melrose has been recognized with Parkinson’s illness and is retiring after practically three many years because the colourful NHL analyst for ESPN, he revealed Tuesday.

“I’ve had over 50 extraordinary years taking part in, teaching and analyzing the world’s biggest sport: hockey. It’s now time to hold up my skates and concentrate on my well being, my household, together with my supportive spouse, Cindy, and no matter comes subsequent,” Melrose, 67, mentioned in a press release, which arrived on the primary day of the 2023-24 NHL season.

“I’m past grateful for my hockey profession and to have referred to as ESPN house for nearly 30 years. Thanks for the unbelievable reminiscences, and I’ll now be cheering for you from the stands.”

A local of Kelvington, Saskatchewan, Melrose appeared in 300 video games from 1979-86 as an NHL defenseman with the Winnipeg Jets, Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Purple Wings, scoring 10 objectives with 728 penalty minutes. Earlier, he performed in 178 video games in three seasons (1976-79) with the World Hockey Affiliation.

As a cigar-loving coach with a particular mullet and flashy fits, Melrose took the Wayne Gretzky-led Los Angeles Kings to the Stanley Cup Last in 1993 within the first of his three seasons teaching the group.

“He’s larger than any group,” Gretzky mentioned in a video tribute for ESPN. “For many years, he’s been suiting up — and I imply suiting up — for the sport, for the game, for hockey. … You see, hockey is greater than a sport, it’s a group — a finely tuned orchestra — and Barry was our conductor.

“Barry has given a lot to the sport. And now he wants our assist, and all of us in hockey are right here for him.”

Melrose joined ESPN in 1994 and have become full-time in 1996. He returned to teaching in 2008 with the Tampa Bay Lightning, however that stint lasted simply 16 video games, and he was again on tv in ’09. His general NHL teaching document was 84-108-29.

On Tuesday, his ESPN colleague and fellow hockey fan John Buccigross referred to as him a “razor sharp wit” in a publish on X, previously Twitter.

Melrose didn’t cowl the 2023 Stanley Cup Last, the primary time he had missed the league’s championship sequence in a while.

In a press release, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman referred to as Melrose “a singular, one-of-a-kind particular person. And hockey on ESPN gained’t be the identical with out him. … His love for hockey is clear and infectious. And it’s not possible to have a dialog with him with no smile in your face.

“Barry, we want you nicely on this combat and know you’ll give it all the pieces you could have — as you at all times do.”