The Arizona State University men’s hockey team released a statement about sophomore defenseman Matthew Mayich, weeks after he collapsed during a controversial outdoor workout.
“Thinking of you 27 💛,” the statement read, which was issued by the team via social media on Saturday, September 5. “Matthew — your ASU teammates and the entire Sun Devil community are keeping you and your family in our thoughts and prayers during this incredibly difficult time.”
Mayich, 21, suffered heat stroke and remains hospitalized after collapsing during a team workout on August 20. His family’s lawyer, Robert Carey, said Mayich has “zero chance of recovery.”
The Sun Devil hockey team was participating in a nearly hour-long, military-style workout led by a former Green Beret. Carey exclusively told Us he’s “confident” Mayich was not given any water throughout the entire process.
Mayich was allegedly left on the ground for several minutes after collapsing, according to Carey. The attorney further alleged that Mayich was not immediately rushed to a cooling station or placed in an ice bath once he attended to.
A formal police investigation into the incident was opened last week, with multiple players on the team being questioned.
“These kids are scared,” Carey told Us on Thursday, September 3. “The ones that are still there, they’re scared. They think they might lose their scholarships. They think the program might crumble. They might not get playing time if they cross the coach.”
Carey added, “As the investigator, you have to separate the witnesses from the people being investigated. When you have people in a hierarchical system like this, you need to put people on leave and do the investigation so that people have a safe space in which they can be honest. That’s all we ask. We just want them to be transparent and tell everybody what’s going on.”
The lawyer suggested that the coaches who were present for the workout should be placed on leave as the investigation unfolds.
“The family wants a full and complete investigation,” Carey said. “To me, as a lawyer and former prosecutor, that requires you separate witnesses from their supervisors.”
While he waits for the investigation to play out, Carey told Us he “already knows what’s going on.”
“I’ve talked to enough people where I know what happened on the field that day,” he said. “When I get my facts out, it’s going to be…it’s horrific. They didn’t plan it right, they didn’t execute it right and they weren’t prepared for the likely scenario of heat stroke. They were utterly unprepared for it.”
In a statement to Us on Thursday, a spokesperson for Arizona State said, “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.”
“Sun Devil Athletics also has heat-illness guidelines in place; these guidelines are informed by the National Athletic Trainers’ Association,” the statement added. “SDA student-athletes regularly practice and train outside, under coach and trainer supervision.”
Mayich had recently arrived on the Arizona State campus after transferring from Clarkson University, where he played his freshman year. He was selected by the St. Louis Blues in the sixth round of the 2023 NHL Draft.
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