Attorney for family of hospitalized ASU hockey player demands ‘accountability’ from university

The attorney for the family of Arizona State University hockey player Matthew Mayich is demanding the university take accountability and conduct an independent investigation into the incident the left him hospitalized.

Mayich, who was drafted by the St. Louis Blues in the sixth round of the 2023 NHL draft, is still in the hospital after collapsing during an Aug. 20 outdoor workout. Mayich transferred to Arizona State this past offseason after spending his freshman season collegiately playing at Clarkson University in New York.

Attorney Leonard Aragon told KTAR News 92.3 FM that Mayich flew in from Ottawa, Canada less than a week before his very first practice in Arizona’s heat, which he claims was led by a former Green beret who pushed the athletes to their limit and beyond with a military-style workout. He also alleged that the student-athletes would be punished for stopping or drinking water.

“He didn’t have a chance to get acclimated. He wanted to make a good impression for his teammates, for his coaches, for himself on his new team,” Aragon said. “And eventually, Matthew apparently suffered heat stroke and passed out and the ambulance was called and now he’s … at Barrows St. Joe’s and receiving phenomenal care, but he’s there in critical condition. … Unfortunately, the prognosis is not good.”

The university acknowledged in a statement that a third party who had previously worked with the hockey team was present at the practice, along with coaches and training staff.

“We are reviewing it, this is not an investigation,” ASU athletic director Graham Rossini told Arizona Sports’ Burns & Gambo on Friday. “So, we’re collecting information. And if there’s things that we need to identify and learn from we’re going to do that, but this is not an investigation where somebody’s suggesting something went wrong. We’re just reviewing the facts and understanding the scenario.”

Senior Vice President James Rund is conducting the review into the workout as well as the related university policies, procedures and protocols, according to ASU.

“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,” a university spokesperson said in a statement. “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.”

However, Aragon and Mayich’s family want ASU to conduct an independent investigation into the incident to ensure they get answers on why this happened.

“Healthy elite student-athletes shouldn’t pass out on fields and get heat stroke,” Aragon said. “We want the university to admit that they made a mistake and then make sure that it never happens again to anyone, not just hockey players, not just student-athletes, but anyone affiliated with the university system.”

ASU says it does have guidelines for 3rd-party involvement, heat-illness

The university indicated that it has institutional guidelines and requirements for outside entities who interact with its student-athletes and sport programs. It added that Sun Devil Athletics also has heat-illness guidelines in place that are based on the National Athletic Trainers’ Association.

“SDA student-athletes regularly practice and train outside, under coach and trainer supervision,” the ASU spokesperson said.

Aragon emphasized that accountability from the university would also include policies being put in place that ensure what happened to Mayich never happens again, not just at ASU but at all state universities and community colleges.

“Where you have water breaks, where you have staff on the field monitoring the student-athletes, and if something appears to be problematic, you go out there and you figure out what’s wrong,” Aragon said. “Where we don’t practice on the very first day in incredibly hot environments with humidity, something even us native Arizonans aren’t able to deal with very well. Where we have students … become acclimated to the climate.”

The attorney said a lawsuit may be filed in the future, but for now he and fellow attorney Robert Carey are conducting interviews and collecting the facts of the case.

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