Eddie Mio

Lore & Background

Mio attended Colorado College from 1972 to 1976, earning first- and second-team all-star awards and making the NCAA West first all-American team two years in a row. In 1974, the NHL's Chicago Black Hawks and the WHA's Vancouver Blazers both drafted him, but he played for neither, instead playing minor league hockey with the Tidewater Wings, Erie Blades, and Hampton Gulls before surfacing with the Indianapolis Racers of the WHA. With the Racers, Mio's goaltending was rough, but he met his lifelong friend, Wayne Gretzky, while they were teammates.

Gretzky was sold to the Edmonton Oilers by the Racers on November 2, 1978; Mio was traded separately to Edmonton later. When the Oilers moved to the NHL for the 1979–80 season, Mio got his first NHL action as part of a young lineup that included Gretzky, Mark Messier, Kevin Lowe, Glenn Anderson, and Paul Coffey. He had his first winning season in 1980–81 before being traded to the New York Rangers. In New York, Mio backstopped the Rangers for parts of two seasons (1981–82 and 1982–83) before being traded mid-season in 1982–83 to Detroit.

After hockey, Mio was a player agent with International Management Group, representing players such as Brent Johnson. In 2005, he became the director of player development for the Phoenix Coyotes. In 2010, having left the NHL, Mio considered running for mayor in his hometown of Windsor, Ontario. At the 2014 NHL Winter Classic, Mio played an exhibition game with the Detroit Red Wings alumni team, splitting time with Kevin Hodson in a winning effort against the Toronto Maple Leafs alumni team.

Reader's Guide

Eddie Mio is a former goaltender who played in both the WHA and NHL, primarily known for his time with the Edmonton Oilers and his friendship with Wayne Gretzky. He later worked as a player agent and in player development for the Phoenix Coyotes.