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 the team’s coaching staff be placed on administrative leave amid an investigation into the collapse and hospitalization of sophomore defenseman Matthew Mayich last month, according to a 26-page letter sent to school president Michael Crow on Monday, September 28, and obtained by The Athletic.
In the letter, the players — who are all anonymous — dispute the findings of the university’s investigation into Mayich’s collapse, which occurred during an intense, outdoor workout on August 20.
The players insist that Mayich, 21, did not receive any water throughout the duration of the nearly hourlong workout, which goes against what the university’s investigation said in their report released on September 22.
“The head coach and his assistant coaches were all on the field on August 20, all remain in their positions, and together they decide our playing time, scholarship levels, and roster status,” the players wrote in the letter. “No one has separated us from them since that morning.”
They added, “We should not have to choose between telling the truth about August 20 and keeping what we have worked our whole lives for.”
Arizona State is scheduled to open the 2026-2027 season at Lindenwood on Friday, October 2.
Greg Powers Zac BonDurant/Getty Images
A formal Arizona State police investigation remains open. During that time, players suggested an interim head coach take over, specifically citing former Arizona Coyotes player Shane Doan as a potential candidate.
In their letter, players claimed that head coach Greg Powers told them Mayich suffered “just a little heat stroke” and he had “seen this a million times.”
Mayich has been hospitalized in a coma since the incident, with his attorney, Robert Carey, saying the athlete has “zero chance of recovery.”
After Mayich was taken away via ambulance, the players claimed Powers told them they were “closer to making the Frozen Four because of the workout and Matthew having pushed himself to the maximum.”
The next day, Powers allegedly told the team he had “good news” and that Mayich would be fine.
“From what we could tell, at no point did Coach Powers seem to appreciate the severity of the situation,” the players wrote in the letter.
The players said those in charge on the day of the incident were not “properly trained in identifying or treating heat stroke.”
After Mayich collapsed, he was allegedly forced to sit upright twice, which is “a position that can reduce blood flow to the brain.”
A spokesperson for Arizona State confirmed the letter’s existence to The Athletic on Monday, but did not provide additional comment.
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