PWHL and Czech Republic's MacLeod determined to continue coaching despite breast cancer diagnosis

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Carla MacLeod, the coach of the Czech Republic national women’s hockey team and PWHL’s Ottawa Charge, revealed Sunday that she has been diagnosed with breast cancer.

And in the 43-year-old’s typical upbeat fashion, MacLeod wrote in a message posted by the Charge on X: “I want everyone to know that I’m going to be okay."

“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 wrote. “There are still some variables to be determined as we move forward, but my goal — without question — is to be behind the bench as often as possible.”

That includes coaching at the Milan Cortina Winter Games, in which the Czech Republic opens against the United States on Feb. 5. This will be the nation’s second Olympic appearance, and first in the Pool A bracket, after a seventh-place finish at the 2022 Beijing Games.

“I finally exhaled when my medical team assured me that my treatment should have minimal impact on being present for the Charge season, and that I’ll still be able to coach Czechia,” she wrote.

MacLeod took over coaching the Czech Republic in April 2022 and led the team to consecutive bronze medals — the nation’s first in senior women's international play — at the 2022 and ’23 world championships. The Czech Republic has finished fourth in each of the past two worlds and is considered a medal contender at an Olympic tournament that’s been dominated by the U.S. and Canada.

Ottawa is off to a 1-1 start to the season and MacLeod said her treatment schedule will force her to miss the team’s next game, against Minnesota on Tuesday.

“The fear of missing out will be real, but I’m incredibly lucky to be surrounded by world-class players and staff, who will keep pushing us forward,” MacLeod wrote. “Being with the team fuels me. And I intend to stay as connected as I can during treatment.”

Charge general manager Mike Hirshfeld said assistant coach Haley Irwin will handle coaching duties during MacLeod’s absence.

“The Charge and the league are here to support Carla throughout her treatment,” Hirshfeld said. “Her strength, resilience and optimism shine through in the most challenging of circumstances. And we know she’ll approach the next chapter with the same determination she brings to everything she does.”

MacLeod, who is from Alberta, won gold medals representing Canada in 2006 and 2010 and has since transitioned to coaching.

MacLeod’s international success led to the Charge hiring her as their coach in the team’s inaugural season in 2024. After missing the playoffs in their first year, the Charge defeated top-seeded Montreal in the semifinals before losing to defending champion Minnesota in the Walter Cup finals in May.

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AP women’s hockey: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-hockey