The parents and seven anonymous teammates of injured Arizona State hockey player Matthew Mayich are calling for the coaching staff to be removed from their duties while an outside investigation examines the August preseason workout that left the 21-year-old sophomore hospitalized with severe brain damage.
The push for administrative leave escalated when John and Christina Mayich released a public statement through their attorney, backing a 26-page letter sent to university president Michael Crow by seven members of the Sun Devils roster. The players submitted their document anonymously out of fear of professional repercussions, noting that head coach Greg Powers and his assistants control playing time, scholarship distributions, and roster placements.
Matthew Mayich, a 21-year-old defenseman selected by the St. Louis Blues in the 2023 NHL Draft, collapsed near the end of a grueling outdoor preseason session at Sun Angel Stadium on August 20. Family attorney Rob Carey stated that the player suffered an exertional heat stroke that restricted oxygen flow to his brain.
Disputed Weather Data and Workout Conditions in Tempe
The central conflict centers on the stark divergence between the university’s preliminary review and the accounts provided by the team members who stood on the turf that morning. On September 21, ASU senior vice president James Rund released an internal report detailing the timeline of the August 20 session.
That preliminary university report estimated ambient temperatures between 86 and 89 degrees with relative humidity ranging from 51% to 46%. However, the players’ letter countered that administrators relied on a distant weather station a mile away rather than checking actual field conditions, where temperatures typically run higher.
National Weather Service records for August 20 show early morning lows of 74 degrees with afternoon highs pushing to 104 degrees. The athletes described the conditioning as a military-style drill led by Timothy Ziesel, an Army special forces veteran brought in as an outside consultant. The session lasted approximately 75 minutes of continuous exertion without adequate rest intervals, according to the players’ submission.
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Contradictory Accounts of Hydration and Emergency Response
The players’ letter directly challenged the university’s timeline regarding fluids and emergency medical protocols on the field. While the initial ASU review stated that players received regular water breaks, the roster members asserted that only a single fluid break occurred roughly 35 to 45 minutes into the workout, lasting mere seconds.
Only eight players reached the water before the group was pushed directly into the next task, and Mayich was not among them, the letter stated. Furthermore, the athletes alleged that mandatory heat safety equipment was missing from the vicinity.
There was no immersion tub, no ice chest, no ice for cooling, no fan, and no stretcher on hand at Sun Angel Stadium, according to the players, who noted they had to carry their teammate to a concrete parking slab near the bleachers.
The university’s internal report asserted that an athletic trainer immediately assessed Mayich, instructed him to stay down, applied iced towels and cool water, and dialed 911 while directing athletes to move him to shade. The players contended, however, that the trainer sat Mayich upright twice while he was disoriented, violating standard protocols for heat stroke collapse.
Parental Pleas and Legislative Intervention
John and Christina Mayich stepped forward to clarify their position, explicitly stating they want the program to succeed while demanding systemic accountability. They emphasized that players should feel entirely free to cooperate with investigators without fearing retaliation from the coaching hierarchy.
Head coach Greg Powers addressed his status during a National Collegiate Hockey Conference media event, declining to discuss the ongoing police inquiry while defending his nearly 20-year tenure with the Sun Devils program.
Political pressure mounted when Arizona House Education Committee Chairman Matt Gress and Senate Education Committee Chairman Hildy Angius called upon Arizona Board of Regents Chairman Doug Goodyear to secure an outside investigator.
The Arizona State University Police Department continues to investigate the circumstances of the August 20 workout. Upon completion, investigators will submit their findings directly to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office for independent legal review.