Days before the start of the season, players on the Arizona State hockey team are taking a stand.
Seven members of the ASU hockey team have requested that the team’s coaching staff be placed on administrative leave amid an investigation into the sophomore defenseman’s collapse and hospitalization Matthew Mayich last month, according to a 26-page letter sent to school president Michael Crow on Monday, Sept. 28. Athletic.
In the letter, the players, all anonymous, dispute the findings of the university’s investigation into Mayich’s collapse, which occurred during an intense outdoor practice on Aug. 20.
Players insist Mayich, 21, did not drink any water during the nearly hour-long practice, contrary to what the university’s investigation noted in its report released Sept. 22.
“The head coach and assistant coaches were all on the field on August 20, they all remain in place and together decide our playing time, scholarship level, and roster status,” the players wrote in the letter. “Since that morning, no one has separated us from them.”
“We shouldn’t have to choose between telling the truth about August 20 and protecting what we’ve worked our whole lives for,” they added.
Arizona State is scheduled to open the 2026-2027 season at Lindenwood on Friday, October 2.
Greg Powers
Zac BonDurant/Getty ImagesAn official Arizona State police investigation remains open. During this time, players suggested an interim head coach take over, specifically citing the former Arizona Coyotes player. Shane Doan as a potential candidate
Players in their letters to the head coach Greg Powers He told them that Mayich had “just a little heatstroke” and that he had “seen it a million times.”
Mayich has been hospitalized in a coma along with his lawyer since the incident. Robert CareyHe said the athlete had “zero chance of recovery.”
After Mayich was taken away by ambulance, the players claimed Powers told them they were “closer to the Frozen Four because of the training and Matthew pushing him to the max.”
The next day, Powers allegedly told the team he had “good news” and that Mayich would be fine.
The parents of Arizona State University hockey player Matthew Mayich are speaking out after their son collapsed following a controversial outdoor practice last month, leaving him with “zero chance of recovery.” “I was told that an early training session was planned. [that day]and I guess it was hot and the conditions weren’t good for us. […]
“As far as we can tell, Coach Powers never appeared to appreciate the seriousness of the situation,” the players wrote in the letter.
Players said those responsible on the day of the incident “were not properly trained to detect or treat heatstroke.”
Mayich was allegedly forced to sit upright twice after fainting; this is “a position that can reduce blood flow to the brain.”
An Arizona State spokesperson confirmed the letter’s existence Athletic on Monday, but had no additional comment.