ESPN opened its 2026-27 NHL coverage Tuesday with a moment of remembrance for Barry Melrose, the longtime hockey analyst whose death on September 9 left a deep mark on the network and the wider game. During the Florida Panthers-Carolina Hurricanes season opener, play-by-play voice Bob Wischusen and analyst Erik Johnson reflected on the former player, coach and broadcaster, who died at 70.
A familiar hockey voice remembered
Wischusen addressed Melrose’s passing after a commercial break in the second period, calling the loss especially painful for ESPN’s hockey staff.
“Our collective hockey hearts at ESPN were broken” when Melrose died, Wischusen said. He noted that Melrose’s impact stretched well beyond his years behind the desk, from his playing and coaching career to the connection he built with fans around the world as a studio analyst.
- Melrose became one of ESPN’s defining hockey personalities during the 1990s.
- He had previously played in the NHL and later coached at the league level.
- His most prominent coaching run came with the Los Angeles Kings, whom he guided to the Stanley Cup Final.
- He returned to ESPN in 2009 after a later coaching stint with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Wischusen described Melrose as a singular figure in the sport and said his absence would be felt permanently.
Johnson recalls meeting his broadcasting idol
Johnson, the former Colorado Avalanche defenseman and 2022 Stanley Cup champion, joined ESPN after ending his playing career. On the opening-night broadcast, he spoke personally about the influence Melrose had on him long before he entered the league.
Johnson said that as a kid he dreamed not only of becoming a hockey player, but also of working in broadcasting. Melrose, he said, was one of the figures he looked up to most.
He remembered being anxious when he first met Melrose at age 18, describing him as both a towering presence and a hockey legend. Johnson added that ESPN and the game would miss him greatly.
From the bench to the studio
Melrose’s path to television included major stops behind NHL benches. His Kings reached the Stanley Cup Final before he later pursued another opportunity as head coach of the Lightning. His return to ESPN in 2009 restored a familiar voice to the network’s hockey coverage.
He stepped away from broadcasting in 2023 after receiving a Parkinson’s disease diagnosis.
Tuesday’s Panthers-Hurricanes opener marked the start of another NHL season on ESPN, but the first puck drops also came with a tribute to one of the network’s most recognizable hockey voices.
