At an event held at the Gary W. Harris Centre in Red Deer, Alberta, six individuals, and the 1995 Centennial Cup champions, were inducted into the Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame. Among the inductees was Ottawa Charge head coach Carla MacLeod, who was recognized alongside Ryan Smyth, Joe Nieuwendyk, Cliff Fletcher, Howie Draper and Garry Unger.
A native of Spruce Grove, Alberta, MacLeod has made her mark on the game both as a player and coach.
As a player, MacLeod, was a standout defender who won the National Championship with Team Alberta in 1999 and again in 2001. She went on to attend the University of Wisconsin, where she served as captain in 2003-04 and 2004-05 and, during her tenure, earned the Medal of Honour for athletic and academic excellence. In her senior year, she also served as an undergraduate assistant coach with the team.
She made her international debut with Team Canada at the 2003 Four Nations Cup, where she helped secure a silver medal, along with three more gold medals over five tournaments. Over the next several years, MacLeod added to her resume with a three silver medals and a gold at the IIHF Women’s World Championships, gold medals at both the 2006 and 2010 Olympics. She retired from playing in September 2010.
Following retirement, MacLeod joined Mount Royal University as an assistant coach before taking on the same role with Canada’s U18 team in 2011-12. That opportunity led her to join Team Japan’s staff, where she worked from 2011-12 to 2013-14 and played a key role in helping the team qualify for their first Winter Olympics in 2014.
She returned to Canada in 2017-18 as head coach of the Edge School program in the CSSHL, then took over the University of Calgary Dinos in 2021-22. In 2022, MacLeod made history as the first woman hired by Czech Hockey, where she was named head coach of the women’s national team and guided them to back-to-back bronze medals at the World Championships in 2022 and 2023.
In September 2023, MacLeod was named head coach of the newly formed PWHL Ottawa franchise. In their second season, she led the team to their first playoff appearance and a run to the Walter Cup Final, resulting in a nomination for the PWHL's Coach of the Year award.
Carla MacLeod’s induction into the Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame reflects a career defined by consistent excellence, leadership and a lasting impact on women’s hockey at every level of the game.