Steve Levy

I mean, this guy was the face of hockey for over 20 years at ESPN.

Him and Steve Levy, just a great hockey personality.

Everyone knew who Barry Melrose was.

He actually played for the Red Wings and he actually coached the Adirondack Red Wings back in the day in the minor leagues.

He was the one who kept it alive at ESPN, kept it relevant.

Even if you weren't a diehard hockey fan, you knew who Barry Melrose was.

you knew who barry melrose was like just to see the outpouring of love for him and prayers for his family from all across the the universe really for on down from like his partner in crime steve levy all the way to like lil wayne being a huge fan of his like it shows how much of an impact he had larger

than life he's uh he's I don't know how else to add on to that.

Uh, hey, but tonight we're also pausing to remember Barry Melrose.

For over 30 years, the man ESPN's own Steve Levy called the unquestionable face and voice of hockey in the United States.

Before hockey had its moment in this country, Barry Melrose was hockey moment every single night.

We got football, baseball, Al's here for baseball, tennis, basketball, and a tribute to a legend who kept an entire sport alive on American television.

We'd always end up with Stanley Cup, and there's me and Bob McKenzie and Dregger and, and, uh, and, uh, Duffy doing, doing the, the Cup coverage.

And then there's Barry Melrose and, and Steve Levy to the side, and I idolized them.

Like, you know? And then I got to meet the guy of...

A- and, and Barry Melrose, a lot of times you meet people who you aspire to be and they let you down.

It was just ESPN.

And so the hockey highlights would come on, and it was Steve Levy, and it was Barry Melrose.

Those two guys, Barry Melrose in particular, drove my passion for hockey.

I never got the opportunity to play.

But the biggest impact that he made, in my opinion, well before I got into the sport to begin with, because I was not watching the NHL when ESPN first had the rights before the lockout.

But then how much someone like Barry Melrose, Steve Levy, John Bouchergras, and Neil Everett, those guys like that, kept it alive with their segment towards the end of the hour.

And then Neil Everett always saying, cool is the rule as he ended his segments.

Obviously, NBC had the rights to the NHL.

This is our ESPN Radio game, 12 p.m. Eastern on Sunday.

Steve Levy, Harry Douglas, and Courtney Cronin's working.

Odd that she's actually working.

I mean, she never works except for every day of the week, 24 hours a day.

This is our ESPN Radio game, 12 p.m. Eastern on Sunday.

Steve Levy, Harry Douglas, and Courtney Cronin's working.

Odd that she's actually working.

I mean, she never works except for every day of the week, 24 hours a day.

Then he sat on ESPN's desk from 1996 to 2023, 27 years.

Steve Levy called him the face and voice of hockey in the United States.

Here's my memory.

If I grew up in Florida, Bruin fan, I didn't need Melrose to wear black and gold at all.