In the aftermath of sophomore defenseman Matthew Mayich collapsing after an August workout that left him on life support, seven members of the Arizona State hockey team on Monday called for the coaching staff to be placed on administrative leave.
The players’ request was included in a 26-page, four-part letter, sent from a Phoenix law firm and delivered to school president Michael Crow, that included their account of the events versus those of school senior vice president James Rund.
On Sept. 21, Rund released a preliminary internal review of the Aug. 20 outdoor preseason workout led by Tim Ziesel, an ex-Green Beret. Included in that review was a timeline of events, a summary of activities, weather conditions and the actions that followed Mayich’s collapse near the end of the workout. Mayich, a 2023 St. Louis Blues sixth-round draft pick, remains in an Arizona hospital.
Greg Powers, who has been the Sun Devils’ head coach all 12 seasons for which they have been a Division I team, did not answer questions regarding the workout or Mayich at media day on Wednesday.
In the players’ letter, they allege that the workout was driven by punishment, that Mayich showed signs of distress earlier than reported and that he did not receive any water. The players also wrote that the medical staff was not trained to handle Mayich’s condition and did not follow the protocol for a heatstroke victim. According to Mayich family attorney Rob Carey, Mayich collapsed from exertional heatstroke, which cuts off oxygen to the brain.
According to the players, Powers described Mayich’s condition as “just a little heat stroke,” which he had seen “a million times. … After the ambulance took Matthew to the hospital, Coach Powers told us that we working (sic) closer to making the Frozen Four because of the workout and Matthew having pushed himself to the maximum.”
The Rund report does not place blame or identify who is responsible.
In their letter, the players requested that the school “place the staff responsible for approving, conducting, and supervising the session on administrative leave pending an independent investigation.”
The players also asked the university to bring in a new coaching staff “who could serve on an interim basis and help the University reach the truth without placing the entire burden of that effort on the players.”
Former Phoenix/Arizona Coyotes captain Shane Doan is listed among their recommendations for an interim coach.
The names of the seven players who drafted the letter were not revealed, as they were concerned about possible repercussions.
As for the Sun Devils’ season, which is slated to begin Friday at Lindenwood, it appears it will continue as planned. The players want to see change happen before the season starts.
“We should not have to choose between telling the truth about August 20 and keeping what we have worked our whole lives for,” the players wrote in the letter.
–Field Level Media
