Columbus Blue Jackets Winger Miles Wood Recalls Terrifying Injury

Columbus Blue Jackets winger Miles Wood opened up on Thursday about the frightening moment he thought he might lose his left eye after a high stick from New Jersey Devils defenseman Dougie Hamilton during their game on October 13. Speaking with Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispatch, Wood described his feelings of panic while being assessed by team trainers.

"That's the most scared I've ever been," Wood stated, mentioning his desperate plea to the trainers, "Break whatever bone you want, just don't take my eye." The incident left Wood in shock as he initially believed his eyeball was in his hand after he pulled it away from his face.

Fortunately, Wood's eye injury was not as severe as he feared. Though he needed "seven or eight" stitches around the affected area and experienced some lingering "hazy" vision, team sources indicate his eyesight is expected to return to normal soon.

Wood returned to practice on Thursday, revealing that for several minutes post-injury, his left eye was completely unusable. "I think my first words were, 'Is my eye still there?'" Wood recalled, adding that his vision began to clear up slightly after receiving stitches but was blacked out for about half an hour.

Now 30 years old, Wood is in his 11th NHL season and his inaugural year with the Blue Jackets after joining the team from the New Jersey Devils in June. He previously played eight seasons with the Devils and two seasons with the Colorado Avalanche.

In his NHL career, Wood has appeared in 516 regular-season games, notching 92 goals and 91 assists for a total of 183 points. His most successful season came in 2017-18 with the Devils, where he set personal records with 19 goals and 32 points.

Sports enthusiasts may also find it interesting that Wood is the son of Randy Wood, a veteran NHL forward who played for multiple teams including the New York Islanders and Buffalo Sabres.

In his second game as a Blue Jackets player on October 11, Wood managed to score a goal, contributing to a 7-4 victory over the Minnesota Wild. This goal remains his sole point for the current season as the eye injury has limited him to only three games.

With Wood back on the ice and practicing, fans are hopeful for his swift return to game action, though the team's timeline for his comeback remains unspecified. The Blue Jackets, currently with a 3-3 record, will face the 5-2 Washington Capitals next on Friday night.