When the Blue Jackets were looking to fortify their roster for the 2025-26 season, Miles Wood was an intriguing piece to add to the mix in a draft-day trade with the Avalanche.
The 30-year-old wing has experience, having played 513 games over 10 NHL seasons with New Jersey and Colorado. He’s averaged 15 goals per 82 games in his career, including five seasons in which he’s reached double digits in goals. And there’s no doubt Wood is one of the NHL's fastest skaters – per NHL Edge statistics, his top speed of 24.82 miles per hour not only led the entire league a season ago, it might get him pulled over in a school zone.
Add it all up and Wood – the son of longtime NHL player Randy Wood – brings a new dynamic to the Blue Jackets on the ice, and he’s an engaging and well-liked teammate off of it as well. He’s also off to a good start, notching a power-play goal last night in his preseason debut.
TRAINING CAMP PRESENTED BY OHIOHEALTH: Schedule and roster | Training camp home
Wood talked with BlueJackets.com early in training camp, presented by OhioHealth, about his initial thoughts on Columbus and what he likes to do off the ice. This conversation has been edited for clarity and length.
BlueJackets.com: I don’t know how much you know about Columbus, but what’s the first couple of days been like, getting to know the guys and the city?
Wood: “It’s been great so far. I don’t know much about it so far but I do have a good friend that played here in the past, Ryan Johansen. He’s said nothing but great things about the town, and that’s what I’ve seen so far. I live right downtown here, so I’m in the mix of all the restaurants and Ohio State football, so it’s been fun so far.”
Has that been a spectacle for you? You’re from Massachusetts, right, and college football is not quite as big there?
“No, it’s not as big, but I went to Boston College. The football team was not great when I was there, but it was big when Clemson would come to BC and play there. It’s a great town here. It’s been good so far.”
I don’t know what your reaction was when you got traded, but what’s that like for a player, having to come to a new place and meet a new group and work into a new team?
“Nerves for sure. It’s the first time I’ve been traded in my 10-year career so far, so it was a first. I’m happy it happened during the offseason so you can plan for things, but the guys have been great here. They truly have. I’ve only been here for two weeks or so, but you really feel the sense of team here. Guys truly care about each other, and it’s something I’m happy to be a part of and try to build on top of that.”
On the ice, I imagine it’s a bit of a reset, where you have the opportunity to try to come in and maybe find a new role. Do you think on the ice it can help too?
“New roles, I’m not really sure. That’s the reason why I’m here, because they like me for what I do and what I bring to the team. I’m just trying to build off of what I can do and help this team. Guys in this league are so good, so it might take a few days to get to know how they play or what side of the stick they use and stuff like that, but guys are so good now that it’s pretty easy to transition into something new.”
If I have this right, you were born in Buffalo, grew up on Long Island, but you consider yourself a Massachusetts guy?
“I get this a lot. I would say if someone asked me where I grew up, I’d say Manchester, Massachusetts. My dad was playing for the Leafs at the time, so he just wanted me to be born I guess in the United States, so I was born there, but I didn’t spend much time there at all.”
Do you go home there in the summer?
“Yeah, I do. That’s my hometown.”
That’s probably not a bad place to be. Boston is such a great city.
“It’s good. It’s a lot of fun. Manchester is a half hour north of Boston. My town is a small beach town. You got the boat, the golf and the beach there, so there’s no point in trying to leave.”
Are you a fan of the sports teams there and things like that?
“I’m a huge fan of all the sports teams there. When I was a kid, with the Celtics, the Bruins, the Red Sox, the Patriots, it was a championship place to be. Now the Patriots are in a little bit of a slump, but who knows what will happen? We got spoiled with Tom Brady.”
I have to ask, what happened to the teeth? You’re missing two in the front.
“All the teeth you can see right now are fake. These two couldn’t be saved, so I just kind of keep them out. I think I have eight or nine fake teeth. High sticks, pucks, the whole nine yards.”
