Cheverie and MacLeod took the spotlight as PWHL featured first all-women-coached Walter Cup Final
As milestones go, Ottawa’s Carla MacLeod called it important, yet complicated, in taking part in the PWHL’s first Walter Cup Final involving two teams coached by women. The significance, she said, was obvious in a league where she and Montreal's Kori Cheverie are currently the only two female head coaches. What struck MacLeod as curious was how the issue of equity between genders was still considered newsworthy in 2026.
Perhaps, the moment represented the next aspirational step toward a new normal, she wrote in a text to The Associated Press before the Charge series began against the eventual champion Victoire. Montreal won the series with a Game 4-clinching 4-0 victory on Wednesday . “For a long time, most professional leagues kept women out of leadership positions.
The PWHL has helped create a space where women can be seen,” she wrote. “And that visibility matters, not just for today’s players but for the next generation coming up,” MacLeod added. “Hopefully, one day, this won’t be something we point out.
” PWHL opens doors for women The PWHL has made numerous strides in the three seasons since being launched. With the addition of four expansion teams next season, the league's doubled in size by expanding to 12 franchises. Teams have outgrown their initial facilities, with the PWHL now favoring arenas with a minimum capacity of 8,000.
And though privately financed by baseball’s Los Angeles Dodgers owner Mark Walter, the PWHL is well represented by women, including his wife, Kimbra, as well as tennis icon Billie Jean King and her partner Ilana Kloss, who are among the league's governing board members. And while many executive roles are filled by females, including nine of 12 general manager positions , where the league still lags is at the coaching ranks. The league previously featured three female coaches before Courtney Kessel left Boston a year ago to coach at Princeton.
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