ICYMI: The Week on Front Row

Longtime ESPN NHL analyst Barry Melrose is known for many things: his hockey knowledge, quick wit, coaching resume and, last but certainly not least, his distinct style of dress.

While his style has changed during his 20 years at ESPN, it has always been one thing: authentic.

This week Melrose has been providing analysis at the NCAA Frozen Four in Pittsburgh with play-by-play man John Buccigross. The duo — along with reporter Clay Matvick — will call Saturday’s championship between top-ranked Quinnipiac and Yale.

The clash is being dubbed “The Battle of Connecticut” (7 p.m. ET, ESPN) between schools separated by “seven miles as the crow flies,” as Buccigross informed viewers during Thursday’s semifinal.

In the video above, Melrose took time out from his college and NHL commentary to offer ESPN Images’ Joe Faraoni some “Style Points” on suits, shined shoes and pocket squares. Alas, no mention of his Hall of Fame mullet.

Beginning April 15, Melrose will be doing double shifts across ESPN outlets throughout the remainder of the NHL’s regular season and during the playoffs. He can always be found on Twitter @NHLBarryMelrose, as can Tweet-up multi-tasker @Buccigross.

Video produced by Joe Faraoni and Tonya Malinowski

ICYMI: Highlights from the past week on Front Row

•Fourteen-year-old golf sensation Tianlang Guan captivated audiences watching the Masters on ESPN on Thursday and Friday with his competitive play. For nearly two weeks this winter, ESPN.com national columnist Gene Wojciechowski and ESPN feature producer Sharon Matthews trailed the teen phenom from China to Augusta National in Georgia for extensive profiles. Front Row interviewed Matthews, who supplied behind-the-scenes photos, about the resulting video and text features.

•Around The Horn host Tony Reali and his creative colleagues paid tribute to of HBO’s popular Game Of Thrones series. How did they do it? They constructed a Game Of Horns opening that mirrored the actual Thrones introduction, using panelists’ names and iconic sports venues to substitute for Thrones’ characters and kingdoms. Reali told Front Row about the process.

• What began as a run of the mill suggestion in a Wednesday SportsCenter meeting turned into an opportunity that left NFL analyst Brian Dawkins nearly speechless — a chance to meet his hero Barry Sanders.

• ESPN teamed with electro-trio music band Krewella to create intros for the network’s exclusive coverage of the NCAA Women’s Final Four in New Orleans.

Row of Four
Our favorites from across ESPN over the past week

•From Grantland by Jonah Keri: The Official Breakdown of the Dodgers-Padres brawl.

•From espnW by Jeff Carlisle: The National Women’s Soccer League — the third American pro women’s soccer circuit is the past 12 years — debuts today.

•From ESPN.com: Senior writer Jerry Crasnick profiles Brian Helgeland, the director, screenwriter and creative force behind the film 42, the Jackie Robinson film. In this same link, fellow ESPN.com senior writers Jim Caple and Jayson Stark join Crasnick to review the film.

• Enjoy an array of photos in this gallery from ESPN Images.