While he may not be notable to most, he was involved in a deal that changed the landscape of hockey and could have also been a guy who was bounced around most between both the WHA and NHL before ever playing a game. This week, the profile of Eddie Mio.
After spending a year with the Junior-A Windsor Spitfires, Mio went the NCAA route, playing with the Colorado College Tigers starting in the 1972-73 season. In his first season, Mio got into 23 games and would finish with a 6-17-0 record, while in his sophomore season; Mio only got into 13 games and compiling a 4-7-2 record. In the 1974 Draft, Mio was selected by the Chicago Blackhawks in the NHL and the Vancouver Blazers in the WHA, however Mio would stay at Colorado College-- being named to the WCHA Second All-Star team and being named NCAA West First Team All-American. During his senior season of 1975-76, Mio put together a 15-18-1 record in 34 games, being named to the NCAA West First Team All-American squad again, as well as WCHA First All-Star team, as well.
As his rights were bounced around the WHA and NHL, Mio turned pro in the 1976-77 season in the Southern Hockey League with the Tidewater Sharks, playing in 19 games there, as well as playing for the Erie Blades of the North Americal League for 17 games.
Things turned for Mio, as he played with the AHL's Hampton Gulls in the 1977-78 season-- playing for 19 games with a 5-9-0 record. That season, Mio's rights ended up with the WHA Indianapolis Racers, going 6-8-0 in 17 appearances there. In the 1978-79 season, Mio bounced all around-- playing in the Central League with the Dallas Black Hawks for seven games (4-3-0) and then playing in only five games for the Racers (2-2-1) before he would be involved in one of the biggest trade at the time.
In November of 1978, Mio-- along with his best friend Wayne Gretzky and decent associate Peter Driscoll-- were traded to the Edmonton Oilers for $700,000 and future considerations. The rest of the 1978-79 season with the Oilers, Mio went 7-10-0 in 22 appearances.
As the Oilers moved to the NHL, so did Mio-- who had to be reclaimed by his NHL rightsholders (Minnesota North Stars) and the re-reclaimed by the Oilers in a Priority Draft. With the Oilers in 1979-80, Mio played in 34 games and put together a 9-13-5 record. Staying with the Oilers in the 1980-81 season, Mio got more games in (43) and finished up with a 16-15-9 record. The Oiler sent Mio to the Central League's Wichita Wind for the start of the 1981-82 season, in which Mio went 3-8-0 in 11 appearances.
Yet, the Oilers would put Mio on the move again, this time sending him to the New York Rangers in December of 1981 for Lance Nethery. The rest of the 1981-82 season, Mio went 13-6-5 behind the Rangers, then went 4-3 in eight playoff games. Mio stayed in New York for the 1982-83 season, posting a 16-18-6 record in the regular season in 41 games, then a 5-3 playoff record in eight games.
In the summer of 1983, Mio, Eddie Johnstone, and Ron Duguay were traded from the Rangers to the Detroit Red Wings for Willie Huber, Mike Blaisdell and Mark Osborne. Mio spent most of the 1983-84 season with Detroit, finishing with a 7-11-3 record in 24 games, but he also spent time in the AHL with the Adirondack Red Wings, playing four games with a 1-1-2 record. The 1984-85 season saw Mio spent most of the season in Adriondack, playing in 33 contests and ending up with a 19-12-1 record; also spending seven games in Detroit with a 1-3-2 record to show. Mio split the 1985-86 seasons again, playing in 18 games with Detroit (2-7-0) and eight with Adirondack (4-1-3) before calling it a career at the end of the season.
After hockey, Mio got into the player agent game working with IMG Agency and representing players such at Sergei Fedorov, Brent Johnson, and Joe Thornton. When he was with the Oilers, his bond with Wayne Gretzky was strong, so much so that Gretzky made him best man, as well as giving him a position with the Phoenix Coyotes when Gretzky owned part of the team. Mio also tried to run for Mayor of Windsor Ontario in 2010, but dropped out of the race before elections
While he was able to stay in hockey in one way or another, it just seemed that Mio never really got the chance to sustain his play for more than a year or so. Even with that, he made his mark on the WHA and NHL, as well as the college ranks. Plus, he was able to get a great friendship with one of the most notable hockey players to strap on skates.
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