Lightning hires Barry Melrose as coach

TAMPA, Fla. – When the Tampa Bay Lightning called, Barry Melrose was eager to listen.

Out of coaching for 13 years, he missed the passion and competition of the NHL. Countless hours of watching games as a television analyst intensified his desire to return to the bench, and it didn’t hurt that he’d be able to work with talent like Vincent Lecavalier and Steve Stamkos.

“They approached me. I couldn’t wait to say yes,” Melrose said Tuesday after the Lightning’s new owners made the league’s worst-kept secret official: the former Los Angeles Kings coach was the choice to replace John Tortorella, a former University of Maine men’s hockey player.

The Lightning missed the playoffs for the first time since 2002, and finished last in the NHL with a league-worst 31-42-9 record.

Melrose coached Los Angeles from 1992-95. In his first season, he helped the Wayne Gretzky-led Kings to the Stanley Cup finals, where they lost to the Montreal Canadiens. He spent the past 12 years at ESPN.