Nashville, Tenn. (March 29, 2025) – Nashville Predators General Manager Barry Trotz announced today that the team has signed forward Matthew Wood to a three-year, entry level contract beginning in the 2024-25 season.
Wood, 20 (2/6/05), completed his junior season of collegiate hockey on Thursday as the University of Minnesota fell to UMass Amherst in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The 6-foot-5, 205-pound forward recorded career highs in goals (17) and points (39) in 39 contests for the Golden Gophers, who earned a share of the Big Ten regular-season title. Wood concluded the campaign tied for second on his team in assists (22) and points and tied for third in goals; he also was tied for sixth in points and tied for seventh in goals among Big Ten skaters. Earning a spot on the All-Big Ten Honorable Mention squad, Wood recorded 12 multi-point outings this season and closed out the campaign with points in each of his last five games (5g-1a), including an assist on Thursday in his NCAA Tournament debut. Wood recorded 101 points (44g-57a) in 109 games during his NCAA career, spending his first two seasons at the University of Connecticut, where he was named to the Hockey East All-Rookie Team as a freshman.
Originally drafted in the first round (15th overall) by the Predators in the 2023 NHL Draft, which was held at Bridgestone Arena, Wood spent two seasons with the BCHL’s Victoria Grizzlies from 2020-22, posting 98 points (50g-48a) in 64 games. With Victoria in 2021-22, he was named the BCHLRookie of the Year, recipient of the Brett Hull Trophy as the league’s leading scorer and was a BCHL First Team All-Star selection after recording 45 goals and 85 points.
At the international level, Wood – who was born in Lethbridge, Alta., but grew up in Nanaimo, B.C. – represented Canada at the 2024 World Junior Championship, where he recorded four points (2g-2a) in five games. In 11 games for Canada at the 2023 U-18 World Championship, he tallied 13 (7g-6a)points en route to earning a bronze medal; he also won gold at the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup with fellow Predators prospect Tanner Molendyk.
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