Melrose Place? It appears it might be true.

Sounds like there might actually be something to this story. I found this on-line tonight and as it appears that Barry Melrose might very well be the next head coach of the Tampa Bay Lighting. This has the possibility of being a interesting story and Melrose would add a lot of color, mullets and flair to the Tampa Bay organization.

Melrose Place? Drama Surrounds Bolts' Coaching Spot
By CARTER GADDIS and ERIK ERLENDSSON
The Tampa Tribune
Published: May 31, 2008
John Tortorella's tenure as the Lightning's coach will end when Oren Koules is approved as the team's new owner next month, according to a source close to the Lightning.

For more than a month, speculation has centered on ESPN commentator and former Los Angeles Kings coach Barry Melrose as a replacement if Tortorella does not coach Tampa Bay in the final season of his contract.

The Toronto Star reported Friday that Melrose will be paid $2 million annually.

Melrose, who has worked at ESPN since 1996 and last coached in the NHL in 1995, gave a soft denial Friday during an appearance on ESPN's "SportsCenter."

"This is no different than any of the last 10 years," said Melrose, who was seen in Koules' company Monday in Detroit during the Stanley Cup finals. "I've been contacted by a handful of clubs every year since joining ESPN. My desire to coach again has never been a secret, but I love what I do at ESPN. ... I want to coach again in the NHL. But nothing's going on. Uh, I work for ESPN and I'm very happy working for ESPN."

Tortorella, who replaced Steve Ludzik as Lightning coach in 2001 and guided the team to a Stanley Cup championship in 2004, declined to comment through a team spokesman Friday.

At the end of this past season, Tortorella discussed the possibility of stepping down with General Manager Jay Feaster after the Lightning failed to make the playoffs for the first time since 2002. Feaster rejected the notion, and Tortorella, the all-time leader in NHL victories among American-born coaches, went on to coach Team USA in the World Hockey Championships.

(Read the rest of the story here)