Around the hockey world, Barry was known as a player, NHL coach and one of ESPN’s most recognizable personalities. But in Glens Falls, Barry was also one of our own.
He first came here as a player with the Adirondack Red Wings and was part of the 1986 Calder Cup championship team. He later returned behind the bench and coached the Wings to another Calder Cup in 1992.
A year later, Barry was coaching Wayne Gretzky and the Los Angeles Kings in the Stanley Cup Final.
Yet even as his career took him to the biggest stages in hockey and broadcasting, his connection to Glens Falls endured. Barry lived here for many years and later returned to local hockey as a co-owner of the Adirondack Frostbite.
That’s part of what makes his story so special.
For generations, hockey has been woven into the identity of Glens Falls. The teams, the championships, the Civic Center and the thousands of fans who have filled it have all helped shape this community. Barry Melrose became part of that tradition, and he carried a little bit of Glens Falls with him onto the national stage.
EDC joins the Glens Falls and Adirondack hockey communities in remembering Barry and extending our condolences to his family and friends.
Glens Falls is a true hockey town. Barry Melrose helped make it one.
Photo credits: ESPN, James Goolsby, NHL.com