28 Days Until Boston College Hockey: Get To Know #28, Miles Wood

We're now just four weeks away from BC hockey's season opener at West Point and the countdown is on. The Eagles' chances of a revived offensive attack rest largely on the hopes that their highly-touted freshmen contribute right away. One of those freshmen is today's featured player, #28 Miles Wood.

#28, Miles Wood - Forward

Class Year: Freshman
Height: 6'1''
Weight: 185
Hometown: Manchester, MA

Before BC:

Wood played for Noble and Greenough in Dedham, MA, and played for the US National U-20 team at last year's World Junior Championship

Fun facts:

- Wood's brother Tyler plays for Brown and is entering his junior season.
- Wood is the first BC forward to wear #28 since Tommy Atkinson, Class of '12

2014-2015 in review:

Miles Wood completed his senior season at Noble and Greenough in the IHL, tallying 35 points in 17 games to top the 100 point mark for his high school career. He also made headlines by being the only Prep School player named to the US U-20 National Team for World Juniors—typically the domain of current college players, those in Major Junior, or prospects with the USNTDP.

2015-2016 outlook:

It feels like we've been hearing about Miles Wood forever, doesn't it? Wood decommitted from Brown late in the 2013-2014 season, opening up a bidding war among the usual suspects for his services. The decision came down to BC or BU and when the Eagles landed his commitment, it was a major story. Initially, BC had hoped Wood would enroll last season, but Wood's camp elected it was better for him to remain at Nobles for another year.

The end result of Wood's delayed start to his BC career is that the 2013 4th round pick of the New Jersey Devils will arrive on campus older and more seasoned than most BC freshmen. He turns 20 this weekend and comes in having played with the US World Junior team before ever setting foot on campus. Will this help him with the abrupt transition between New England prep school hockey and the NCAA?

While the Prep School ranks have been fertile recruiting ground for BC through the years, recently the top talent in the region usually makes a stopover at a USHL team or heads off to a hockey academy rather than being recruited directly out of one of the well-known prep schools. Wood is an exception to this rule. He's considered to be an elite talent, and someone who can contribute right away for the Eagles, but he may have some growing pains dealing with the increased level of competition.

Wood has drawn praise for his size and his skating ability. He's also known as a player who's not afraid to park himself in front of the net or win battles along the boards. It's these skills that earned him playing time at World Juniors last year, and it's this element Jerry York will be hoping Wood brings right away as a freshman.

Links:

Twitter: @MilesWood28

EliteProspects page on Miles Wood

Highlights:

Wood recaps his performance at a US U20 scrimmage

Next up:

#26 Austin Cangelosi, Sunday 9/13