Eddie Mio

Eddie Mio
Born January 31, 1954
Windsor, ON, CAN
Height 5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
Weight 180 lb (82 kg; 12 st 12 lb)
Position Goaltender
Caught Left
Played for NHL
Edmonton Oilers
New York Rangers
Detroit Red Wings
WHA
Indianapolis Racers
Edmonton Oilers
NHL Draft 124th overall, 1974
Chicago Blackhawks
WHA Draft 138th overall, 1974
Vancouver Blazers
Playing career 1977–1986

Edward Dario Mio (born January 31, 1954 in Windsor, Ontario) is a former professional ice hockey goaltender in the WHA and NHL. During his career, he played for the Indianapolis Racers, Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers, and Detroit Red Wings.

Playing career

Eddie Mio put himself on the map of professional hockey when he agreed to attend Colorado College from 1972–76. During that time, he established himself as a standout, winning 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 Blackhawks and the Blazers of the WHA drafted him. He played for neither club, wending his way instead through the minor leagues with Tidewater, Erie, and Hampton until he surfaced with the Indianapolis Racers of the WHA.

With the Racers, Mio's goaltending was rough, but the most meaningful event of his career occurred when he befriended his lifelong pal, Wayne Gretzky. Shortly after their meeting, Mio was part of the trade that sent Wayne Gretzky (along with Peter Driscoll) to the Oilers.[1]

In Alberta, Mio got his first NHL action during the days of the Oilers' transition from an old WHA club to a young, highly talented lineup that included Mark Messier, Kevin Lowe, Gretzky, Glenn Anderson and Paul Coffey. Mio had his first winning season in 1980–81 before being traded to the Rangers.

In New York, Mio backstopped the Rangers for two seasons before rounding out his career with the Red Wings in 1985–86.

Post-hockey

Mio was Wayne Gretzky's best man at his wedding to Janet Jones. In 2005, Mio became the Director of Player Development for the Phoenix Coyotes, but he no longer holds that position. Prior to being hired by the Coyotes, Mio was a player agent with International Management Group, representing Sergei Fedorov, Joe Thornton and Brent Johnson. In 2010, Mio considered running for mayor in his hometown of Windsor, Ontario.[2] He also played for the Detroit Red Wings alumni team, splitting time with Kevin Hodson in a winning effort against the Toronto Maple Leafs before the 2014 NHL Winter Classic.

Awards and honors

Award Year
All-WCHA Second Team 1974–75
AHCA West All-American 1974–75
All-WCHA First Team 1975–76
AHCA West All-American 1975–76

Career statistics

Regular season

   
Season Team League GP W L T MIN GA SO GAA SV%
1972–73 Colorado College WCHA 23 6 17 0 1322 119 0 5.40 .875
1973–74 Colorado College WCHA 13 4 7 2 698 57 0 4.90
1974–75 Colorado College WCHA 21 1260 83 0 3.95
1975–76 Colorado College WCHA 34 15 18 1 2038 144 0 4.24
1976–77 Tidewater Sharks SHL 19 1123 66 1 3.53
1976–77 Erie Blades NAHL 17 4 6 2 771 42 0 3.27
1977–78 Hampton Gulls AHL 19 5 9 0 949 53 2 3.35
1977–78 Indianapolis Racers WHA 17 6 8 0 900 64 0 4.27 .864
1978–79 Dallas Black Hawks CHL 7 4 3 0 424 25 0 3.54 .887
1978–79 Indianapolis Racers WHA 5 2 2 1 242 13 1 3.22 .915
1978–79 Edmonton Oilers WHA 22 7 10 0 1068 71 1 3.99 .853
1979–80 Edmonton Oilers NHL 34 9 13 5 1711 120 1 4.21
1980–81 Edmonton Oilers NHL 43 16 15 9 2393 155 0 3.89
1981–82 Wichita Wind CHL 11 3 8 0 657 46 0 4.20 .878
1981–82 New York Rangers NHL 25 13 6 5 1500 89 0 3.56
1982–83 New York Rangers NHL 41 16 18 6 2365 136 2 3.45 .883
1983–84 Detroit Red Wings NHL 24 7 11 3 1295 95 1 4.40 .860
1983–84 Adirondack Red Wings AHL 4 1 1 2 250 11 0 2.64 .917
1984–85 Detroit Red Wings NHL 7 1 3 2 376 27 0 4.31 .845
1984–85 Adirondack Red Wings AHL 33 19 12 1 1871 117 2 3.75 .889
1985–86 Detroit Red Wings NHL 18 2 7 0 788 83 0 6.32 .817
1985–86 Adirondack Red Wings AHL 8 4 1 3 487 32 0 3.94 .875
WHA totals 44 15 20 1 2210 148 2 4.02
NHL totals 192 64 73 30 10428 705 4 4.06

Playoffs

   
Season Team League GP W L MIN GA SO GAA
1976–77 Erie Blades NAHL 2 0 1 80 8 0 6.00
1978–79 Edmonton Oilers WHA 3 0 0 90 6 0 4.00
1981–82 New York Rangers NHL 8 4 3 443 28 0 3.79
1982–83 New York Rangers NHL 8 5 3 480 32 0 4.00
1983–84 Detroit Red Wings NHL 1 0 1 63 3 0 2.86
WHA totals 3 0 0 90 6 0 4.00
NHL totals 17 9 7 986 63 0 3.83

References

  1. ↑ The Rebel League: The Short and Unruly Life of the World Hockey Association, p.219, McLelland and Stewart, Toronto, ON, ISBN 0-7710-8947-3
  2. ↑ Template:Citation Mio is now the Current owner/Co-host of The Drive on ESPN Detroit AM 1090.

External links