Barry Melrose

Barry Melrose is a former National Hockey League player and coach, as well as an announcer for ESPN. Melrose began the 2008-09 NHL season as head coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning, however was dismissed on November 14, 2008, just 16 games into the season.ESPN.com: Tocchet to Take over As Interim Coach After Melrose Gets Fired Melrose is set to return to broadcasting with ESPN on January 1, 2009.ESPN.com: Melrose Returns to ESPN as Analyst

Melrose began playing minor league hockey in 1972 with the Weyburn Red Wings. In 1976, he was drafted 36th overall in the NHL draft by the Montreal Canadiens and 37th overall by the Cincinnati Stingers in the World Hockey Association draft. Melrose played with the Stingers for three years before joining the Winnipeg Jets in the NHL in 1979. After being traded to the Quebec Nordiques, Melrose was waived and picked up by the Toronto Maple Leafs on November 30, 1980. He stayed in Toronto for three seasons, then signed with the Detroit Red Wings on July 5, 1983. Melrose split the next four years between the Red Wings and their minor league affiliate, the Adirondack Red Wings, before retiring in 1987.Legends of Hockey: Barry Melrose

In 1987, Melrose was hired to coach the Medicine Hat Tigers in the Western Hockey League. He continued to coach several minor league hockey teams over the next seven years before he was named head coach of the Los Angeles Kings in 1992. He spent three seasons with the Kings, and led by his coaching of superstars such as Wayne Gretzky, Luc Robitaille, and Kelly Hrudey, guided the Kings to the 1993 Stanley Cup Finals. Three years alter, he took an analyst position with ESPN in 1996. His persona blossomed on-screen as his no-nonsense style of analysis blended perfectly with his mullet and cackling laugh.

In June of 2008, the NHL announced that Melrose was selected as the head coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning.ESPN Media Zone: Barry Melrose He only last one month on the bench before returning to television.