CALGARY – Carla MacLeod – head coach of the University of Calgary Dinos women's hockey team – has been named the head coach of the Czechia National Women's Team.

The two-time Olympic gold medallist will add even more international pedigree to her resume to complement her work in Calgary. She took over the Dinos women's hockey program in August and led the team to a 7-13 record in her first season behind the bench.

"It is a thrill to be joining the staff of the Czech Women's National Team," MacLeod said. "I am once again humbled by the opportunities the game of hockey has provided me.
 
"I am incredibly grateful for the support from the Czech Ice Hockey Association and Women's National Team Manager, Tereza Sadilová, as well as Dinos Athletics and Athletic Director, Ben Matchett. Both recognized the value of maintaining my commitment to the Dinos, ensuring I will not miss anytime with them while believing that I am the right fit to help Team Czech achieve their goals."
 
MacLeod will now join a program ranked seventh in the world after a strong showing in this year's Olympic Games before bowing out in the quarter-finals. She will also become the first female to lead the squad in team history.
 
"The Czech Women's National Team has established an incredible foundation over the past couple of years, and I am lucky to be joining them at such an exciting time," MacLeod said. "Getting to know the staff and players will be my primary focus, and then we will work together to determine areas within the game we can grow.
 
"I am incredibly fortunate to be working with two programs driven to achieve excellence. It is going to be a busy year, but it's an absolute privilege to coach both the UCalgary Dinos and the Czech Women's National Team. The responsibility of both jobs is not lost on me and alongside each staff, I am confident we can achieve our goals."
 
This adds to MacLeod's already extensive international career in the sport of hockey. The Calgary native played four seasons at the University of Wisconsin, where she was a two-year captain and led the women's hockey program to its first NCAA tournament appearance in 2005. During her final season with the Badgers, the two-time All-American was named the USCHO Defensive Player of the Year and a Big Ten Medal of Honor winner. In 2020, she was inducted into the UW Athletic Hall of Fame.
 
MacLeod's international playing career was highlighted by a pair of Olympic gold medals with Canada's Women's Hockey team at Turin 2006 and Vancouver 2010, where she posted a stellar nine points in 10 contests across those Games. She also competed at four IIHF Women's World Championships — winning gold in 2007 and earning MVP honours in 2009 — as well as five 4 Nations Cups, where she earned an additional three gold medals. 
 
After retiring from the Canadian national team in 2010, MacLeod began her career behind the bench as an assistant coach at Mount Royal University in Calgary. During her time at Mount Royal, the Cougars won the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) championship in 2012 and transitioned from the ACAC to Canada West. 

MacLeod has served in several roles for Hockey Canada and Canada's National Women's Program since 2011. From 2012 to 2014, she supported the Japanese Ice Hockey Federation as it won the 2013 IIHF Women's World Championship Division I, Group A, and qualified for the Sochi 2014 Olympics. MacLeod has also held numerous positions with Hockey Alberta, most recently leading the Team Alberta U18 Female team to a gold medal at the 2019 Canada Winter Games in Red Deer.