Ottawa Charge head coach Carla MacLeod will be stepping away from the team for an undetermined period as she continues her treatment for breast cancer, the team announced Monday
MacLeod announced back in November that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer.
"She remains in good spirits and is focused on her health and recovery. The entire organization fully supports Carla and her family and asks that her privacy is respected," the team wrote in a statement.
The 43-year-old from Spruce Grove, Alta., won two Olympic gold medals with Team Canada as a player at the 2006 Turin and 2010 Vancouver Games before retiring and moving into coaching.
Ottawa hired MacLeod as its first coach ahead of the inaugural PWHL season. After Ottawa missed the playoffs the first year, MacLeod guided the Charge to last season's Walter Cup finals, where they lost to defending champion Minnesota.
She also coached Czechia at Milano Cortina 2026. She has been the head coach for Czecia since 2022, winning a bronze medal at the women's world championships.
Assistant coach Haley Irwin will be the interim head coach during MacLeod's absence. She already stepped into the role during one game back in December when MacLeod had started her treatment.
Ottawa has a 6–7–1–11 record this season and currently sits fifth in the PWHL standings with 33 points, trailing the Toronto Sceptres by one point in the race for the fourth and final playoff spot.
— With files from the Canadian Press