One of nine brothers from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, all of whom played college, amateur, pro or Olympic hockey, Eddie started his hockey career playing amateur for the Marquette Sentinels. He soon moved to the Coast Guard Cutters, playing two seasons with other hockey stars John Mariucci and Frank Brimsek before being shipped out in 1944. After his playing career he went on to coach many different amateur and high school teams, and never had a losing season. He was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in 1977 and the St. Louis Amateur Hockey Hall of Fame in March 2008.