Devils player settles grudge with Alex Ovechkin 10 years after threatening him

By Pete Blackburn
Published

Thursday night was a big one for New Jersey Devils rookie Miles Wood. His team headed into Washington and came away with an important win over the Capitals, and he also settled a 10-year grudge in the process.

You see, as a feisty 11-year-old, Wood sent a letter to his favorite player, a young budding superstar in Alex Ovechkin, and requested an autograph. This was no ordinary request, though. It was more of a threat.

According to Wood's father, the letter read:




“If you don’t sign this and send it back to me, when I make it to the NHL, I’m going to give you a big body check.”


What he lacked in manners, he clearly made up for in confidence.

So, 10 years later and still without an autograph courtesy of Ovechkin, Wood indeed did make the NHL. It seemed like he was finally going to get to settle the score on Ovechkin's home ice.

But, in a last-second development, Ovechkin caught wind of the story and decided to do something pretty cool. He sent an autographed photo to Wood in the Devils' locker room prior to the game. On the picture, he wrote "To Miles, take it easy tonight!!!"

Ultimately, both men walked away happy. Wood finally got his autograph, and Ovechkin got to survive. Then they took a picture together.












This is about the coolest ending that a story involving a decade-long grudge can have.