The Cincinnati Stingers were an ice hockey team in the WHA from 1975–79, later in the CHL in 1979–80. Riverfront Coliseum was their home. Barry Melrose, a notable NHL defenseman, has died at 70 amid current news tying the Stingers to WHA history.
Barry Melrose has died at age 70 after a career spanning player, coach and beloved ESPN analyst. He helped co more than three hundred NHL games as a defenseman, guided the Los Angeles Kings to the 1993 Stanley Cup Final in his first season as an NHL coach, and became a fixture in hockey broadcasting for decades before retiring in 2023 after a Parkinson’s diagnosis. The tributes come from players, colleagues and NHL commissioner Gary Bettman.