Thursday Commentary: One Of A Kind
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We interrupt this broadcast to celebrate the life of Barry Melrose. The hockey icon from Kelvington, Saskatchewan passed away Wednesday at age 70 after a battle with Parkinsons Disease.
He played junior in Weyburn and Kamloops before a pro career which included stops as a defenceman with the Jets, Leafs and Red Wings. He returned to Western Canada to coach the Medicine Hat Tigers to a Memorial Cup title in 1988, spent the next season with the Seattle Thunderbirds, then it was off to the pros. He very quickly climbed the ladder and became a household name when he famously coached Wayne Gretzky and the LA Kings to the 1993 Stanley Cup Final.
After the ’94-’95 NHL season Melrose became the lead studio analyst on ESPN’s hockey coverage and that’s where he’d further entrench himself as one of the biggest names in hockey, particularly in the USA, over the next 25 years.
On the personal side, Barry had the most famous “mullet” in the game and even when it went out of style, Melrose kept his till the day he died. It was as much a part of his brand as his trademark double-breasted suits and if you notice in any of the photos and videos that are being posted of him today, you’ll never see Barry not impeccably dressed.
I remember being in the lobby of the Sutton Place hotel in Downtown Edmonton during the 2006 Stanley Cup Final and Melrose was across the lobby. I can’t remember who I was standing with at the time but the guy leaned over and joked, “Do you think Barry wears a suit for pajamas when he goes to bed at night?”
Melrose basically was America’s Don Cherry and it’s U.S. hockey fans mourning his passing the most today, however Barry never forgot where he came from. He was the guest speaker at our Regina Pats Sportsmans Dinner in 2007 and brought the house down at the Delta.
I remember that night very clearly for two reasons: 1) It was minus-52 degrees that night and Melrose quipped on the mic, “Christ! Haven’t you guys heard of global warming?”, and 2) Pats goalie Tommy Tartaglione was starstruck at seeing Melrose live. Having been born and raised in L.A., Tommy credited Melrose and Wayne Gretzky for getting him into hockey and it took him all the way to the WHL.
That’s a perfect example of the impact Barry Melrose had on the game.
Rest in peace, Barry Melrose. You truly were one of a kind.
That’s today’s Rod Pedersen Commentary.
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