Germany coach Jeff MacLeod is one of five Canadians behind the bench in Milan.
photo: Andrea Cardin/IIHF
Of the ten women’s teams in Milan, five are coached by Canadians. It’s an incredible testimony to Canada’s reputation in Europe as not only the birthplace of the game but also its caretaker and developer.
In addition to Troy Ryan coaching Canada, there is Carla MacLeod in Czechia, Jeff (no relation) MacLeod with Germany, Colin Muller (Switzerland), and Eric Bouchard (Italy).
Muller started in the World Junior program with the Swiss in 2014 and has coached the women’s team since 2021, including five Women’s Worlds and now two Olympics. MacLeod coached Germany’s WW18 team in 2024 and then moved to the senior team that year. A longtime assistant coach in the QMJHL, Bouchard is part of Italy’s new efforts to improve the program and took over head coaching duties only last October.
Carla MacLeod has been the most successful of this cohort. She started coaching Czechia in 2022 and has brought the team two bronze medal at the Women’s Worlds as well as an enormous bump in reputation and performance. And she has backed this by brining several Czechs to her Ottawa Charge team in the PWHL.
Carla MacLeod isn’t surprised. It’s simply a natural extension of Canada’s place in the hockey world.
“We're fortunate in Canada that we're entrenched in the game from a very young age,” she explained. “I think if you look at all sports where the core roots sit you coaches venture around the world. You see lots of German bobsleigh coaches in Canada, and curling coaches from Canada round the world. I think it's just the nature of the industry.”
Every coach winds up behind some bench, somewhere, for different reasons and under different circumstances.
“I think it's relationships,” Jeff MacLeod adds. “For me, I'm here because I have relationships within the program and the DEB, and I played in Germany as well. So I think that had a lot to do with it, for me. I think they look at Canada and how well they're done in women's hockey, so people who are involved in women's hockey in Canada have an advantage when it comes to coaching elsewhere.”
One worry about having many coaches from the same country is that it might make the game more vanilla, with every team playing the same way. But both MacLeods agree that is not the case.
“I think every coach has their own identity,” Jeff said. “I'm not from the typical Hockey Canada model. I played with them, so I have that background, but I think you have to adapt as coach to where you're at, what kind of players you have, what the organization wants to do, and go from there. For me, the biggest thing is adapting, and maybe that's why you see the five Canadian coaches here.”
Carla agrees. “A lot of coaches will bring their system and style of play to the group and other coaches will assess the player group and see what they feel they need. I think it's unique and individual in how a coach forms a team.”
In addition to Troy Ryan coaching Canada, there is Carla MacLeod in Czechia, Jeff (no relation) MacLeod with Germany, Colin Muller (Switzerland), and Eric Bouchard (Italy).
Muller started in the World Junior program with the Swiss in 2014 and has coached the women’s team since 2021, including five Women’s Worlds and now two Olympics. MacLeod coached Germany’s WW18 team in 2024 and then moved to the senior team that year. A longtime assistant coach in the QMJHL, Bouchard is part of Italy’s new efforts to improve the program and took over head coaching duties only last October.
Carla MacLeod has been the most successful of this cohort. She started coaching Czechia in 2022 and has brought the team two bronze medal at the Women’s Worlds as well as an enormous bump in reputation and performance. And she has backed this by brining several Czechs to her Ottawa Charge team in the PWHL.
Carla MacLeod isn’t surprised. It’s simply a natural extension of Canada’s place in the hockey world.
“We're fortunate in Canada that we're entrenched in the game from a very young age,” she explained. “I think if you look at all sports where the core roots sit you coaches venture around the world. You see lots of German bobsleigh coaches in Canada, and curling coaches from Canada round the world. I think it's just the nature of the industry.”
Every coach winds up behind some bench, somewhere, for different reasons and under different circumstances.
“I think it's relationships,” Jeff MacLeod adds. “For me, I'm here because I have relationships within the program and the DEB, and I played in Germany as well. So I think that had a lot to do with it, for me. I think they look at Canada and how well they're done in women's hockey, so people who are involved in women's hockey in Canada have an advantage when it comes to coaching elsewhere.”
One worry about having many coaches from the same country is that it might make the game more vanilla, with every team playing the same way. But both MacLeods agree that is not the case.
“I think every coach has their own identity,” Jeff said. “I'm not from the typical Hockey Canada model. I played with them, so I have that background, but I think you have to adapt as coach to where you're at, what kind of players you have, what the organization wants to do, and go from there. For me, the biggest thing is adapting, and maybe that's why you see the five Canadian coaches here.”
Carla agrees. “A lot of coaches will bring their system and style of play to the group and other coaches will assess the player group and see what they feel they need. I think it's unique and individual in how a coach forms a team.”