Richard Nicolay, MD

Dr. Richard Nicolay specializes in the treatment of injuries to the large joints, including the shoulder, elbow, hip, and knee. He has expertise in sports-related injuries and shoulder replacements.

Dr. Nicolay completed his orthopedic surgery residency training at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and trained in pediatrics at Anne and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago and trauma at John H. Stroger Cook County Hospital of Chicago. While at Northwestern, he worked closely with the Chicago Blackhawks, volunteered as a physician for the Chicago Marathon, and trained under past and present head team physicians for the Chicago Bears, Bulls, and Cubs.

At the completion of his 5-year residency, he was elected to serve as a Chief Resident and was awarded the Brian Hartigan, M.D. Memorial Award for demonstrating compassionate care, clinical excellence, and dedication to teaching. He then completed his fellowship at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City, the nation’s #1 hospital for orthopedics, where he completed advanced training in sports medicine and shoulder surgery and served as a fellow team physician for the New York Rangers and New York Liberty.

He trained directly with the team physicians for the New York Giants, Nets, Knicks, Mets, and Red Bulls as well as Team USA Basketball and Swimming. Dr. Nicolay traveled abroad to complete a mini-fellowship in advanced shoulder replacement techniques, working with leaders of the European Society for Surgery of the Shoulder and the Elbow in Switzerland and France.

He serves as a reviewer for the American Journal of Sports Medicine, Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine, Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery, and Arthroscopy Journal. He was the co-recipient of the first-place overall research poster award at the 2022 American Academy for Orthopedic Surgeons Annual meeting.

In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with family, fishing, watersports, woodworking, drawing, and photography.