Edward Dario Mio (born January 31, 1954) is a Canadian former professional
ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two o ...
goaltender
In ice hockey, the goaltender (commonly referred to as the goalie) is the player responsible for preventing the hockey puck from entering their team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring. The goaltender mostly plays in or near t ...
who played in the
World Hockey Association (WHA) for the
Indianapolis Racers
The Indianapolis Racers were a major league hockey team in the World Hockey Association (WHA) from 1974 to 1978. They competed in four full seasons before folding 25 games into the 1978–79 season. They played at Market Square Arena. They are ...
and
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton. The Oilers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. They play their home games at Rogers Place, which ...
between 1977 and 1979, and in the
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey sports league, league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranke ...
(NHL) for the Oilers,
New York Rangers, and
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings (colloquially referred to as the Wings) are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit. The Red Wings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the East ...
between 1979 and 1986.
Playing career
Mio attended
Colorado College from 1972 to 76. During that time, he established himself as a standout, winning first- and second-team all-star awards and making the
NCAA
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges and ...
West first all-American team two years in a row.
In 1974, the
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey sports league, league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranke ...
's (NHL)
Chicago Black Hawks and the
World Hockey Association's (WHA)
Vancouver Blazers both drafted him. He played for neither club, wending his way instead through the minor leagues with the
Tidewater Sharks,
Erie Blades, and
Hampton Gulls until he surfaced with the
Indianapolis Racers
The Indianapolis Racers were a major league hockey team in the World Hockey Association (WHA) from 1974 to 1978. They competed in four full seasons before folding 25 games into the 1978–79 season. They played at Market Square Arena. They are ...
of the WHA.
With the Racers, Mio's goaltending was rough, but the most meaningful event of his career occurred when he met his lifelong friend,
Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Douglas Gretzky ( ; born January 26, 1961) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. He played 20 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for four teams from 1979 to 1999. Nicknamed "the Great One ...
. Shortly after their meeting, Mio was part of the trade that sent Gretzky (along with
Peter Driscoll
Peter Driscoll (born October 27, 1954) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey left wing who played in the World Hockey Association and National Hockey League between 1974 and 1981. He was born in Powassan, Ontario.
Selected by the Toro ...
) to the
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton. The Oilers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. They play their home games at Rogers Place, which ...
on November 2, 1978.
[The Rebel League: The Short and Unruly Life of the World Hockey Association, p.219, McLelland and Stewart, Toronto, ON, ]
When the Oilers moved to the NHL for the 1979–80 season, Mio got his first NHL action, part of the young, highly talented lineup that included Gretzky,
Mark Messier
Mark John Douglas Messier (; born January 18, 1961) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre of the National Hockey League (NHL). His playing career in the NHL lasted 25 years ( 1979–2004) with the Edmonton Oilers and New York Rang ...
,
Kevin Lowe,
Glenn Anderson
Glenn Chris Anderson (born October 2, 1960) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played 16 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Edmonton Oilers, Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Rangers, and St. Louis Blues. Ande ...
and
Paul Coffey. Mio had his first winning season in 1980–81 before being traded to the
New York Rangers.
In New York, Mio backstopped the Rangers for two seasons before rounding out his career with the
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings (colloquially referred to as the Wings) are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit. The Red Wings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the East ...
in 1985–86.
Post-hockey
Mio was Wayne Gretzky's best man at his wedding to
Janet Jones. Mio was a player agent with
International Management Group, representing
Sergei Fedorov
Sergei Viktorovich Fyodorov (; born December 13, 1969) is a Russian former professional ice hockey player and the current head coach of CSKA Moscow of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). During his playing career, for which he is best known f ...
,
Joe Thornton
Joseph Eric Thornton (born July 2, 1979) is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre who is currently an unrestricted free agent. He has previously played for the Boston Bruins, San Jose Sharks, Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers of th ...
and
Brent Johnson. In 2005, Mio became the director of player development for the
Phoenix Coyotes
The Arizona Coyotes are a professional ice hockey team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Coyotes compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference and currently play at the Mu ...
. In 2010, having left the NHL, Mio considered running for mayor in his hometown of
Windsor, Ontario
Windsor is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada, on the south bank of the Detroit River directly across from Detroit, Michigan, United States. Geographically located within but administratively independent of Essex County, it is the southe ...
.
At the
2014 NHL Winter Classic
The 2014 NHL Winter Classic was an outdoor regular season National Hockey League (NHL) game, part of the Winter Classic series, played on January 1, 2014 at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The visiting Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the ...
, 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
The Toronto Maple Leafs (officially the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and often referred to as the Leafs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Divi ...
alumni team.
Mio has a daughter named Katya who was born April 30, 1988. He also has twin sons Grant and Edward Riordon who were born in 2000.
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
Awards and honors
References
External links
*
Eddie Mio @ hockeygoalies.org
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mio, Eddie
1954 births
Living people
Adirondack Red Wings players
AHCA Division I men's ice hockey All-Americans
Arizona Coyotes executives
Canadian ice hockey goaltenders
Canadian people of Italian descent
Chicago Blackhawks draft picks
Colorado College Tigers men's ice hockey players
Dallas Black Hawks players
Detroit Red Wings players
Edmonton Oilers (WHA) players
Edmonton Oilers players
Hampton Gulls (AHL) players
Ice hockey people from Ontario
Indianapolis Racers players
New York Rangers players
Sportspeople from Windsor, Ontario
Tidewater Sharks players
Vancouver Blazers draft picks
Wichita Wind players