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Ottawa Charge head coach Carla MacLeod has been diagnosed with breast cancer, the team announced Sunday.
“Hearing these words was incredibly difficult, but I want everyone to know that I will be okay,” McLeod wrote in a statement released by the PWHL club.
“I am incredibly fortunate to be guided by an exceptional medical team and together we have developed a treatment plan that gives me great confidence in the journey ahead.”
MacLeod wrote that while her treatment begins this week, she plans to return to the bench this season, as well as coach the Czech Republic women's ice hockey team at the Winter Olympics in February.
However, she will miss the Charge's next game on December 2nd. Assistant coach Haley Irwin will take the reins in her place.
“The loss of revenue will be real, but I am incredibly fortunate to be surrounded by world-class players, coaches and staff who will continue to push our group forward,” MacLeod wrote.
A two-time Olympian in women's hockey, MacLeod has coached the team since the inaugural 2023-24 PWHL season.
Both the team and the league will support MacLeod throughout her treatment,” Charge general manager Mike Hirschfeld wrote in a statement.
“Her strength, resilience and optimism shine through in the most challenging of circumstances,” he wrote. “And we know she will approach this next chapter with the same determination she brings to everything she does.”
