{
  "id": 11308302,
  "title": "Wayne Gretzky, TNT pay tribute to Barry Melrose to open NHL season",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/01/wayne-gretzky-tnt-pay-tribute-to-barry-melrose-to-open-nhl-season",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-01T23:30:56.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/wayne-gretzky-tnt-pay-tribute-233056461.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The 2026-27 NHL season commenced with tributes to the late Barry Melrose, who left an indelible mark on the sport. Melrose served as ESPN's face for nearly three decades before becoming part of the TNT family. On the season's opening night, TNT's initials were displayed on one of Studio W's walls, honoring the former NHL player and coach. TNT also dedicated their inaugural hockey coverage to Melrose, recognizing his invaluable contributions to the game.\n\nWayne Gretzky, who played under Melrose during his tenure with the Los Angeles Kings, shared a poignant memory of his former coach. Gretzky remembered a difficult game where the Kings lost 12-2, despite outshooting their opponents 60-15. Despite the loss, Melrose stood in front of his team and expressed his unwavering positivity, praising the players' efforts. Gretzky, who always admired Melrose's enthusiasm, noted that he never had a harsh word or a bad moment, even when coaching players who were often overlooked. He highlighted Melrose's ability to make everyone feel valued and appreciated, regardless of their position on the team. Gretzky concluded that the sport would miss Melrose's positivity immensely, as he was a constant source of motivation and inspiration throughout his career. The mutual respect between Melrose and his former players was evident in this heartfelt tribute, uniting what were otherwise competing networks in a shared appreciation for this hockey legend.",
  "summary": "The 2026–27 NHL season got started this week with the larger hockey world still mourning the death of beloved former player, coach, and analyst Barry Melrose. Melrose was the face of hockey at ESPN for nearly three decades, and the Worldwide Leader paid fitting tribute to him on the opening night of the season, with…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}