Matthew Wood of the Nashville Predators scored his first NHL goal against the Philadelphia Flyers on Oct. 30.
Matthew Wood scores his first NHL goal to get the Predators back within one. Good for him, he’s been working hard to break through. pic.twitter.com/trdL83JWq1
— Alex Daugherty (@AlexDaugherty1) October 31, 2025
He scored at the 18:03 mark of the second period at even strength, just after the Flyers took a 2-0 lead. Wood took a drop pass from Michael Bunting, then sent a wrist-shot by goaltender Dan Vladar.
Wood was recalled from the Milwaukee Admirals on Oct. 23 after dealing with an injury in the preseason. He made his NHL debut last March for the Predators, tallying one assist in six games.
Wood, a Lethbridge, Alberta, native, played three years of collegiate hockey, two at UConn and one at Minnesota. He scored 44 goals and 57 assists in 109 NCAA games.
The 6-foot-4, 202-pound Wood is an excellent right-handed shooter from the wing. During training camp, he practiced with Filip Forsberg and Brady Martin before an injury sidelined him for two weeks. He was placed on injured reserve ahead of the season and then assigned to the Admirals. He scored his first professional goal for the Admirals on Oct. 18 against the Texas Stars before being recalled by Nashville.
Wood signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Predators on March 29.
Alex Daugherty is the Predators beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Alex atjdaugherty@gannett.com. Follow Alex on X, the platform formerly called Twitter, @alexdaugherty1. Also check out our Predators exclusive Instagram page @tennessean_preds.