Avalanche's Miles Wood Thought He Lost His Eye After Scary Play

Tuesday, October 28, 2025 ,
Colorado Avalanche forward Miles Wood falls down while chasing the puck during 2025 game.

The Miles Wood eye injury on Oct. 13 was terrifying in real time and even scarier in the training room. 

The Columbus Blue Jackets winger says he briefly thought his left eye was gone after a high stick from New Jersey Devils defenseman Dougie Hamilton. 

Wood needed seven or eight stitches around the eye and says his vision went dark for roughly half an hour, though doctors expect a full return. He was back at practice with a longer visor and admitted the first skate felt tough after strict rest to prevent a re-bleed.

Miles Wood eye injury details and recovery

Wood described it as the most scared he has ever been, telling trainers to fix any bone as long as his eye was safe. The blackout was caused by blood pooling in the eye, known as hyphema, which created the sensation that something far worse had happened. 

He can still notice a few hazy spots, yet the expectation is that his sight normalizes with time. Former Devils teammates checked in, and Wood emphasized the play was a freak occurrence. 

Earlier in the week he scored in his second Blue Jackets game against the Minnesota Wild, and he hopes to build on that once cleared.

What it means for the Blue Jackets lineup

Columbus has managed without him by plugging Yegor Chinakhov into the fourth line, but Wood’s straight-line speed and forecheck are elements the team would like back soon. 

There is no firm timeline, which keeps his return tied to how fast the lingering haze fades and how quickly his conditioning rebounds after nine days of limited activity.

Photo Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

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