Mayo Clinic physician to lead US men’s ice hockey medical staff at Winter Olympics in Beijing

ROCHESTER, Minn. (KTTC) – A Mayo Clinic orthopedic surgeon will be returning as the team physician for the U.S. men’s ice hockey team at the Winter Olympics in Beijing being held February 3-20.

Michael J. Stuart, M.D. will oversee the medical care for all players and staff of Team USA. He will be working with USA Hockey athletic trainers, attend practices, team meetings, doping control testing and games to make sure the team is ready to compete amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dr. Stuart will also work in the medical clinic of the U.S. Coalition for the Preventative of Illness and Injury in Sport to provide care to other Olympic athletes as needed.

“The health and safety of players and staff are always paramount, but even more so during the pandemic,” Dr. Stuart says. “We’re following all the COVID-19 precautions and requirements and are looking forward to getting on the ice.”

This will be Dr. Stuart’s fourth turn as team physician of the U.S. Olympic Games’ men’s ice hockey squad.

“It’s obviously an honor to represent our country. And it’s a special opportunity for me to be part of a team, We really do work very closely together. We help each other out. And so I interface on a daily basis, not only with the athletic trainers, but also with our equipment managers, our coaches and, of course, our players, as well as the entire USOPC medical team,” says Dr. Stuart.”

Dr. Stuart is the chief medical and safety officer for USA Hockey, member of the International Ice Hockey Federation’s medical committee and president of the Rochester Mustangs sled hockey team. He is also former co-director of Mayo Clinic Orthopedics and Sports Medicine.

The U.S. Olympic men’s ice hockey team opens play Feb. 10 against host China in the first preliminary round game.