Charge head coach Carla MacLeod stepping away to focus on cancer treatment

Ottawa Charge head coach Carla MacLeod is stepping away for undetermined amount of time as she continues cancer treatments, the PWHL club said Monday.

MacLeod first announced in November that she'd been diagnosed with breast cancer.

In the interim, assistant coach Haley Irwin will take over behind the Charge's bench. Irwin has served as MacLeod's assistant coach since the team's first season in 2023-24.

She previously stepped into the head coach rrole for a game on Dec. 2 when MacLeod started her treatment.

In their statement, the team says it "fully supports Carla and her family and asks that her privacy be respected." The team added that MacLeod is in good spirits and remains focused on her health and recovery.

Macleod has served as the team's coach since its inaugural season.

Last year, she led the Charge to the Walter Cup finals before the team fell to the Minnesota Frost in four games. She was also a finalist for the PWHL's coach of the year.

This season, the Charge sit fifth in the league with 33 points in 25 games. They're currently one point behind the Toronto Sceptres for the final playoff spot with five games left on the schedule.