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24 // MARCH 2020 USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM PHOTOS BY Gregg Forwerck; Greg Bates M I K E U I H L E I N | U . S . S L E D T E A M D O C T O R Always On Call Uihlein's work in the emergen- cy room gives him quite a bit of flexibility with his schedule. That's a good thing, because he wouldn't be able to fulfill his sled team duties without spending so many days away from home. With the sled team needing a medical professional on site, Uihlein attends every practice, camp and tournament at home and overseas. "It seems like he's non-stop," Cash said. "The fact that he shows up for every trip and doesn't even think twice about the life that he's leaving behind for that peri- od of time, just goes to show that he's fully committed and he's all in with us. I don't think there's anybody that can fill those shoes better than he does." D u r i n g a n o n - P a r a l y m p i c G a m e s y e a r, U i h l e i n i s a w a y from home about 55 days. On a Paralympic year, that number jumps up to 70 days. The sled team gets together for practice once a month. The a t h l et e s a n d st a f f f l y i n o n a Thursday, have a night practice, get in two skates on Friday and Saturday and everyone departs on Sunday. Jack Of All Trades Uihlein's duties aren't just con- fined to the rink. Preparation is a huge part of his practice. "Before I go anywhere, I do a medical travel assessment and know where the local hospital is, the ER, the orthopedic sur- geons, how far it is from the rink, where it is from the hotel," said Uihlein, who has been part of the staff for the gold-medal winning sled teams at the 2014 and 2018 Paralympic Games. "Then I'll reach out to local sports medicine physicians so we have a plan for follow-up, i f a n y o n e g e t s i n j u r e d . Ju s t have a plan for emergency and non-emergency care and going from there." And he's never far from his medical bag, which he calls his jack-of-all-trades kit. "People tease me about this big backpack that I carry wherever, but it's just like any other sports medicine doc's kit that's amassed different things over the years that you needed or could have needed," Uihlein said. "Mine also includes tire wrenches and patch kits for wheelchairs." When it's time to get on the ice, the sled athletes thorough- ly enjoy having a familiar face who knows them and can tend to any ailment. Best Of Care A s t h e l o n g e st t e n - ured sled team mem- b e r a t 1 5 s e a s o n s , C a s h k n ow s h e 's i n good hands if he has any health issues. "Having that con- sistency allows you to focus on your game," Cash said. " When we come into these tournaments, obviously there's a lot of butterflies and guys get stressed out. Doc's there at the drop of a dime. Not only that, but he does everything with a smile. The genuine demeanor that he brings with him every- where he goes—I think of a guy that's just more sincere about the things that he does and the way he carries himself." Getting to know the athletes and their underlying disabil- ities is a huge key for Uihlein. Every sled team member has a diverse medical history, wheth- er it be a Marine who lost a leg t o a r o a d s i d e b o m b o r a g u y who had a leg amputated due to childhood cancer. "He knows some of the things that they deal with. He probably knows what they need to per- form well," Hoff said. "He and [athletic trainer] Mike Cortese as a staff, we just sit back and let them handle the medical part of As much as Mike Uihlein takes his job as the U.S. National Sled Hockey Team doctor seriously, he enjoys every minute of being around the players, coaches and other staff members. There's just no one better than him. He's really good at what he does, and he's even a better person. ... I think our players really respect that part of it, too."