Boyd has served as the longtime team physician for the NHL's Minnesota Wild.
When the puck drops for Team USA men’s hockey at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Joel Boyd, MED ’84, will be right there … just not on skates.
Boyd, an orthopedic surgeon and longtime team physician for the NHL’s Minnesota Wild, is traveling with the U.S. Men’s National Team as their official physician. It marks a return to Olympic ice for Boyd, who served in the same role in 1998 in Nagano, Japan, when NHL players were first invited to compete.
Nearly three decades later, he’s back for his round two, as NHL players return to the Olympics for the first time since the 2014 games in Sochi, Russia.
“It’s an honor. Anytime you’re asked to represent your country, it means something,” Boyd said in a recent conversation with the Lewis Katz School of Medicine. “This time around, it’s different. It’s more intense. The expectations are higher. The tournament’s going to be fiercely competitive. We’re going to work.”
Boyd’s journey to a career in medicine began at Temple. As a student at Katz, he had an early interest in cardiothoracic surgery, and recalls working with artificial heart implants during his early training. But everything shifted during his orthopedics rotation with Temple pioneer John Lachman in his third year—a moment that shaped his career, ultimately paving a trail for others to follow.
“I fell in love with orthopedics. That was it. It was just so clear to me,” he said. “And I was lucky to find mentors in fellow alumni, like Dr. John Bergfeld, a pillar in sports medicine and its head at the Cleveland Clinic, who helped guide me from there.”
Boyd has been a trailblazer ever since. In 2000, he joined the Minnesota Wild for their inaugural NHL season, making history as the league’s first Black team physician. In this position, he helps elite athletes stay at the top of their game, and is redefining what representation looks like in sports medicine and professional hockey along the way. His latest Olympic assignment comes in a period of celebration and reflection on his impactful and important legacy.
“There’s something really special about this point in my career,” Boyd shared. “You live your professional life, it seems, in 10-year increments. In the beginning, you’re just trying to get the work done, trying to do the right thing. Then you enter a phase where things are a little more routine. You understand what’s required, and you know what needs to happen, so you can begin to broaden your focus— on research, or whatever else it might be that takes you to that next level. And then in that last 10, you’re really trying to figure out if you have a legacy, what you want to leave behind and what kind of influence you can have in helping other physicians come along.”
With that legacy now well-established, his ties to Temple still run deep. Classmates continue to reach out, check in and celebrate milestones like this one. And he remains passionate about connecting with the next generation of Katz students, especially those exploring orthopedics or sports medicine.
“This place helped shape me,” Boyd said. “That never really goes away.”
Boyd received a Katz Alumni Achievement Award in recognition of his exemplary career.
In 2024, Boyd was honored with the Katz Alumni Achievement Award, a recognition of his career excellence, trailblazing leadership, and the example he continues to set for students and physicians alike. Just recently, he was asked to serve as an alumni panelist for an upcoming student-led Mentoring in Medicine event at Katz on Feb. 16, but regretfully declined as he would be out of the country.
Now that he is in Milan, his Olympic work is both high-stakes and around-the-clock. As the team physician, Boyd is available for the players at practices, pre-game skates, meals and even during middle-of-the-night calls when something isn’t quite right. With several trainers but no other physician traveling daily with the team, he is the go-to medical decision-maker. That 24/7 availability isn’t glamorous, but Boyd embraces it with humility and focus.
“These are the teams’ best players. It’s our job to keep them healthy and performing. So, I just try to stay available and ready.”
With NHL players returning to the ice, the ever-competitive Olympic tournament is leveling up.
“There’s more at stake,” Boyd said. “I think the U.S. and Canada are the two best teams. And the guys are hungry to get back and win.”
Despite the demanding schedule, Boyd hopes the team will experience some of the Olympic atmosphere in Milan. Although they arrived after the opening ceremony, there’s a chance they’ll still be in town for the closing—if all goes according to plan. The men’s gold medal game is set for the same day: Sunday, Feb. 22.
“Look, we’re there to win. It’s a business trip,” Boyd said, smiling. “But hopefully we get to end it with a gold medal.”
As the world turns its eyes to the Olympic stage, the Temple community will certainly be watching—rooting for Team USA, and rooting for one of its own.
