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While some couples travel to Italy together on a romantic getaway, perhaps on their honeymoon or anniversary, a Canadian couple is making the trip under a unique set of circumstances.
Laura Bennion, originally from Vancouver, B.C., is the lead physician for the women’s hockey team. Earlier this week, she was in Switzerland, preparing for athletes to arrive after the PWHL wrapped up for the Olympic break. Soon after, she was bound for Italy, where the Games begin on Feb. 4.
Meanwhile, her husband Ian Auld, originally from Victoria, B.C., was getting ready to head to Italy himself — because he happens to be the lead physician for the men’s side.
“People started bringing up, I wonder if this is the first time that a husband and wife have been taking care of the hockey programs, and I’m sure there’s no stat for that, but it is a very unique situation,” Auld told CBC’s Stephen Quinn Wednesday.
Auld said the couple attended medical school together, and often lean on one another for support in their work.
“We’ve always had sort of an understanding of what the other person is going through,” Auld said.
“You always know you have somebody that you can go to for any question whatsoever.”
The couple spoke with CBC’s The Early Edition ahead of the games.
A married doctor duo from B.C. will be caring for Canada’s hockey teams at the 2026 Milano-Cortina Olympics. With the games just a week away, CBC’s Stephen Quinn spoke with Dr. Laura Bennion and Dr. Ian Auld about the behind-the-scenes medical care keeping athletes in top form.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
This is a unique position that you and your spouse are in, going through this experience as a couple.
Auld: It’s been great. We’ve sort of been going through this journey for a couple decades now, but more at a distance. This is the first time we’re really going to the same event to provide medical care. I think we have a great relationship of support. We lean on each other for difficult situations and have done so for many years. But this is going to be a different one, very unique and I’m looking forward to it.
Bennion: We’ve both been working in hockey for a long time. I’ve been working kind of behind the scenes with Hockey Canada, helping out their medical crews. They’ve prepared for the last two Olympics. But then as the team takes off, I stay home and sit on the couch and be a fan like everyone else. And this time I’m with the team. So that’s exciting.
Ian was supposed to be going to Beijing in 2022. But when the NHL decided not to send their players. He was home too. So this time it’s worked out for both of us, a parallel journey, which is really interesting, but we’re both here at the same time, so it’s very exciting.
What is this experience like compared to other sporting events you’ve been involved in with the team?
Bennion: It’s fantastic. I mean, it’s a step up. It’s something we’ve been building for the last four years since the last Olympics. A lot has happened in women’s hockey since Beijing. I mean, we’ve had the start of the PWHL and the Vancouver Goldeneyes are fantastic and have been so exciting to watch and such a great addition to the city. We’ve got several players from that team coming to join us. And the fan base is fantastic. The game is great. It couldn’t be better. It’s going to be a great event for women’s hockey. I think we’re going to see a really competitive women’s hockey event here in Italy.
Dr. Auld, walk us through your role as lead physician.
Auld: My role sort of started back in the summer. We got together as a group with all the players, coaches, management staff and did some team building and planning. I mean, the work that Hockey Canada does for this event is monumental. There’s so much planning that goes on.
My specific role deals more with keeping track of the players that we’re bringing over, any injuries that they have or may bring in. For jet lag, we create a plan and when we get to Milan, we get our feet on the ground and we’re up and running and not too jet lagged. A lot to do with doping, making sure that nobody’s taking anything that would get anybody into trouble, so a lot of educational stuff on the front end. Over there, it’s really taking care of injuries.
There’s a lot of family going over too. And we always make sure that we’re available for the families, which I think puts the players at ease knowing that the rest of their extended families are taken care of by somebody that hopefully they can trust.
How intense is it once the competition begins?
Auld: I had the opportunity and privilege of covering the 4 Nations tournament in February — the most intense sporting environment I had ever been in. I think we all know it was a lot more than just hockey, politics created quite a charged environment.
I can imagine that the level of competition that we’re going to see in Milan with all the other countries coming as well, not just the four countries, I mean, it’s going to be spectacular to have all those NHL players there. And, then I’ll get the opportunity to watch the women’s hockey as well, which I think is going to be unbelievable.
Dr. Bennion, what will your day-to-day look like once the competition gets underway?
Bennion: Once the competition’s underway, basically I am where the players are. If we have a pre-game skate, I’m at the rink for that. If we don’t, I’m at the hotel with them. I just sort of follow the ebb and flow of what happens with the players. I’m obviously, like Ian said, available to the broader team as well, our staff and Hockey Canada staff and anyone else who might need any medical attention. Sometimes you’re really busy and sometimes you’re not.
