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Carla MacLeod has been diagnosed with breast cancer, but the overwhelming and positive response to the announcement is giving the Ottawa Charge’s head coach confidence in her fight.
"The overwhelming outpouring of kindness ... has really humbled me," MacLeod said at a post-practice news conference Monday, a day after making her diagnosis public.
"It was something I couldn't have imagined, so I'm very, very grateful to the hockey community and all the people that have been able to help me in this moment."
A two-time Olympic gold medalist in women's hockey as a player, MacLeod has coached the Charge since the PWHL's inaugural 2023-24 season.
She’ll fly to Calgary on Tuesday to meet her doctors and will miss that night’s game against the Minnesota Frost, but expects to return to the bench later in the week.
MacLeod was also tapped to coach the Czech women’s hockey team and expects to be at February’s Winter Olympics.
Ottawa Charge head coach Carla MacLeod looks on during training camp in Ottawa on Nov. 12. (Sean Kilpatrcik/The Canadian Press)She said she was feeling healthy and grateful for an early diagnosis, and encouraged everyone to get tested and have regular checkups with a doctor.
MacLeod told reporters she's "looking forward" to her next step in treatment, and getting back to being healthy and continuing to do what she loves.
Assistant coach Haley Irwin will take the reins in MacLeod’s absence.
Charge players learned about the diagnosis Sunday afternoon during a team meeting with MacLeod, who said their response to the news was "the biggest, warmest hug I could ever get."
Only two games into the season, the team plans to use MacLeod’s absence as extra inspiration when they play the Minnesota Frost in Ottawa on Tuesday.
"Our whole team is behind her and we're going to miss her," said Brianne Jenner, who found herself leading the PWHL points race when she woke up Monday.
"We're a family and we want her to be OK.”
Charge players praised MacLeod’s positivity.
"It hit us hard, as it hit everyone," forward Emily Clark said. "She's been so brave and courageous, and you wouldn't know because she shows up with the same energy, positivity, charisma every day."