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After five seasons with St. Lawrence University’s women’s hockey team, Aly McLeod has 13 points in 23 games in her first season with Modo.
After five years at St. Lawrence University, Stratford’s Aly McLeod is playing with Modo in Sweden. (C A Hill Photo/St. Lawrence University Athletics)
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It’s been a Swede transition for Aly McLeod.
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After five seasons with St. Lawrence University’s women’s hockey team, the 23-year-old from Stratford has 13 points in 23 games in her first season with Modo in the Swedish Women’s Hockey League.
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“I was hoping I could do that,” she said. “Obviously, it doesn’t happen without linemates and teammates . . . and I just want to continue (contributing).”
Coming off a collegiate career in which she racked up 43 goals and 93 points in 167 games with the Saints, McLeod connected with an old junior coach to figure out her next move. She was put in touch with with Modo, a revered program that started a women’s team in 1968 and has attracted many former NCAA players, including one of McLeod’s former St. Lawrence teammates.
Modo’s men’s team launched the careers of future NHL stars Peter Forsberg, William Nylander, and Daniel and Henrik Sedin, among others.
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It was the right opportunity for someone who hoped to one day join the long list of hockey players from the city who skated overseas.
“Everything kind of work out from there,” McLeod said. “For people back home who don’t know about Modo, or they only know the men’s players, it’s pretty cool to bring the name home for younger girls who look up to playing in Europe. The quality of hockey here and the experience overall is definitely worth the excitement.
“I knew I would be fine with the adjustment and wanted to see what the hockey was like.”
The bigger European ice surface has allowed McLeod, a shifty five-foot-four forward, to utilize her offensive tools in a league that is more lenient on physical play along the boards.
“I like it a lot better,” she said. “As a faster and smaller player, it gives me a lot more room to get speed built up.
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“On smaller ice, you have to make quicker decisions. That patience (on bigger ice) is a part of the game that’s important.”
Not everything has come easy.
McLeod is still getting used to communicating in a country where English isn’t the first language. She’s learned a few words and social cues, which help in the dressing room and on the ice, especially when navigating language barriers with older teammates.
“That’s been an adjustment,” she said.
The St. Mike’s alumna lives with two teammates in Örnsköldsvik, a coastal city similar in size to Stratford and not far from some of Sweden’s best skiing and hiking.
“It kind of fits the vibe I’m looking for,” she said. “Being able to debrief at the end of the day like you normally would at home is nice. I couldn’t imagine coming here alone and not being able to do that.”
Modo is fifth in the 10-team league with two games left before Christmas break. The team will get more time off in February for the Olympics, and McLeod wants Modo to position itself as a contender by then.
A strong second half from McLeod would help Modo win its first playoff title since 2012.
After that? McLeod could return to Sweden in 2026 or even land in North America’s Professional Women’s Hockey League.
“I’ve fallen in love with this place,” she said. “I’d love to come back to Sweden and play. I’m not in any rush (to come back), if that’s next year or a few years.”
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