PWHL Coach Carla MacLeod Diagnosed with Breast Cancer

OTTAWA — Carla MacLeod, the head coach of the Professional Women's Hockey League's Ottawa Charge and Czechia's national women's hockey team, announced Sunday that she has been diagnosed with breast cancer but expressed confidence in her treatment plan and determination to continue coaching both teams.

The 43-year-old from Alberta, a two-time Olympic gold medalist with Canada as a player in 2006 and 2010, shared the news in a statement released by the Charge. "I want everyone to know that I'm going to be OK," MacLeod wrote. "I'm incredibly fortunate to have an exceptional medical team guiding me, and together we have built a treatment plan that gives me tremendous confidence in the road ahead." She noted that while some details of her schedule remain uncertain, her medical team has assured her that the treatment will have minimal impact on her ability to coach, allowing her to remain involved with the Charge during their season and lead Czechia at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics.

MacLeod's treatment begins this week, forcing her to miss the Charge's home game against the Minnesota Frost on Tuesday. She hopes to return for Thursday's matchup in Toronto against the Sceptres....