ASU launches safety review after hockey player Matthew Mayich collapses
ASU forms safety panel after player hospitalization
ASU launched a review of outdoor training practices after hockey player Matthew Mayich was hospitalized following an Aug. 20 workout.
TEMPE, Ariz. - Arizona State University is launching a review of its outdoor athletic training practices and establishing a blue-ribbon advisory panel following the Aug. 20 hospitalization of hockey player Matthew Mayich, according to a university report released Sept. 21.
What we know:
The letter, sent by Senior Vice President for Educational Outreach and Student Services James Rund to ASU President Michael Crow, details an initial summary of the events leading to Mayich's collapse during a team-building exercise at Sun Angel Stadium.
According to the report, the workout was between 7 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. at Sun Angel Stadium, the outdoor track-and-field facility on ASU's Tempe campus. Temperatures during the session ranged from 86 to 89 degrees Fahrenheit with humidity levels between 46% and 51%.
Mayich, a student-athlete from Canada who had arrived in Tempe eight days earlier on Aug. 12, collapsed near the end of the session shortly before 8:30 a.m. The workout consisted of calisthenics, bodyweight exercises such as pushups and planks, and running.
While completing a final exercise that involved running with a medicine ball, Mayich struggled, stumbled, dropped the ball, and fell to the ground, according to the report. Although he attempted to get up, he collapsed to his knees.
The team’s athletic trainer and fellow student-athletes instructed Mayich to stay on the ground. The trainer initiated emergency cooling measures, applying iced towels and water from a hose, and called 911 after Mayich’s condition deteriorated.
"She directed student-athletes to assist her in moving Matthew to a shady area and continued applying iced towels and water from a hose while waiting for EMS," the report said. Emergency medical services arrived on the scene and took over care.
"All of the student-athletes who participated in the event had been medically cleared for athletics participation prior to the event. This included Matthew, who had arrived in Tempe from his home in Canada eight days earlier (on August 12) and been medically cleared by the team physician and the athletic trainer after a pre-participation physical examination," the report said. "A break was taken approximately 20 minutes into the event for the student-athletes to drink water."
READ THE UNIVERSITY'S FULL SEPT. 21 STATEMENT BY CLICKING HERE
The other side:
For the Mayich family, this report lacks accountability.
"No one at ASU has taken responsibility for what happened," said Mayich family attorney, Leonard Aragon. "ASU acknowledged that it had policies that would have prevented this tragedy and that they weren't followed."
He goes on to say, "ASU admits it only talked to 20 some people. There's 28 people on the team. They didn't even talk to everyone who was there that day."
Meanwhile, the 21-year-old remains in stable but critical condition, leaving his family devastated.
"They pray for a miracle every day constantly, and they ask for people to pray for a miracle. But, even if that occurs, we're never going to have the Matthew that we had a month ago, the person who came here to represent ASU in college hockey," Aragon said.
In a letter dated Sept. 23, a lawyer representing Mayich and his parents wrote a letter to Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell, asking for MCAO to open a criminal investigation into the incident.
Dig deeper:
The event was the first of a planned three-day team-building activity led by the hockey coaches, though student-athletes had previously participated in three voluntary strength and conditioning workouts earlier that month.
All three ASU hockey coaches, the team athletic trainer, and an outside consultant, Timothy Ziesel, were present. The report noted that while coaches requested permission for Ziesel to speak to the team, they did not submit a plan of training activities to ASU strength and conditioning coaches for review prior to the event.
In addition to the university’s internal administrative review, the ASU Police Department is conducting an independent investigation into the incident. Upon completion, the police report will be submitted to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office for review.
As part of the ongoing inquiry, 20 individuals have been interviewed by investigators or university reviewers, including several student-athletes.
ASU plans to convene "a multi-disciplinary panel of experts" to review and issue recommendations on:
- Planning and approval procedures for outdoor athletic activities.
- Staffing, monitoring, and safety adjustments during outdoor workouts.
- Emergency response protocols.
- Policies regarding the use of outside consultants for training activities.
University officials stated that all student-athletes will have opportunities to provide confidential input during the review, and any updated guidelines or policy changes will be made public.
Arizona State University hockey player, Matthew Mayich, remains in critical condition following an outdoor practice on Aug. 20, 2026.
'I can't comment on that directly'
Arizona State University hockey head coach Greg Powers is defending his job after the university released its preliminary report. He declined to speak directly about the workout where Mayich collapsed.
When asked on Sept. 23 if he is still fit to lead this program amid the backlash, Powers pointed to his record.
"As far as the situation, obviously I can't comment on that directly," Powers said. "But yeah, I believe that I am the right guy and 20 years of body of work and building a program, almost 20 years now. I still believe that."
Meanwhile, players say coming to the rink every day has become an escape, and they plan to dedicate this entire season to Matthew.
ASU hockey coach defends job after workout left player in a coma
Head coach Greg Powers addresses his future with the ASU hockey program following an August workout incident that left student-athlete Matthew Mayich in a coma.
Previous Statement from ASU:
On Sept. 1, Arizona State University released a statement on what happened, saying, in full, "A student-athlete who collapsed during an outdoor workout on Aug. 20 remains hospitalized. The student-athlete, a member of the ASU Hockey team, is not being named by the university because of privacy interests.
The morning outdoor workout was a team event at which coaches and training staff were present along with a third party who had previously worked with the ASU Hockey team. ASU has institutional guidelines and requirements relating to the engagement of outside entities who interact with ASU student-athletes and sport programs.
Sun Devil Athletics also has heat-illness guidelines in place; these guidelines are informed by the National Athletic Trainers’ Association. SDA student-athletes regularly practice and train outside, under coach and trainer supervision.
ASU is reviewing all the circumstances surrounding the workout and the related university policies, procedures and training protocols. James Rund, senior vice president, is leading the review.
The review will take the time needed to collect and assess information in a manner that is thoughtful, respectful of the student-athlete, his family, his teammates and ASU’s privacy obligations. While the review is ongoing, Coach Powers and other SDA and university staff will continue to provide support and resources to the hockey student-athletes and to share information with them in a manner that respects the privacy of the student-athlete and his family."
The Sept. 1 statement was available on ASU's website.