ESPN's Barry Melrose retires after Parkinson's disease diagnosis - ESPN

Former NHL coach and player Barry Melrose, who has been an Emmy Award-winning hockey analyst for ESPN since 1996, has been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and is retiring, he announced Tuesday.

«I've had over 50 extraordinary years playing, coaching and analyzing the world's greatest game, hockey. It's now time to hang up my skates and focus on my health, my family, including my supportive wife Cindy, and whatever comes next,» Melrose, 67, said in a statement.

«I'm beyond grateful for my hockey career, and to have called ESPN home for almost 30 years. Thanks for the incredible memories and I'll now be cheering for you from the stands.»

Before joining ESPN in 1996, Melrose served as coach of the Wayne Gretzky-led Los Angeles Kings, taking them to the Stanley Cup Finals in the first of his three seasons. He stepped away from the network in 2008 to return to the bench, this time as coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning for 16 games.

Overall, Melrose had an 84-108-29 record as a head coach.

But it was his career as a studio analyst with ESPN where his witty personality, flashy suits and recognizable mullet endeared him to hockey fans worldwide.

«He's bigger than any team,» Gretzky said in a video tribute for ESPN. «For decades, he's been suiting up — and I mean suiting up — for the game, for the sport, for hockey.… You see, hockey is more than a game, it's a community — a finely tuned orchestra — and Barry was our conductor.

»Barry has given so much to the game. And now he needs our support, and all of us in hockey are here for him."

NEWS:
Barry Melrose has Parkinson's disease and is stepping away from our ESPN family to spend more time with his. I've worked with Barry at ESPN for over a quarter century. Cold beers and hearty