"From the flowing curls of his signature hockey bob to the flared lapels of his long jackets, Barry Melrose was an unmistakable figure whether you were lucky enough to bump into him in an ice rink or watch him on television. We mourn the loss of a unique hockey figure," NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement.
Melrose played six seasons in the NHL, including in Toronto, before becoming a coach and leading the Los Angeles Kings, with Wayne Gretzky as the star player, to the Stanley Cup Final in 1993.
From 1996 to 2023, he became a popular pundit on ESPN. He stepped down after being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.
