Arizona State University has reassigned hockey staff and launched an independent review after defenseman Matthew Mayich collapsed during an outdoor conditioning session on the Tempe campus on August 20.
Mayich, 21, remains on life support at Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, where his family continues to stay beside him.
The university placed head coach Greg Powers on paid leave, reassigned athletic trainer Amanda Doyle, and removed assistant coach Alex Hicks from the team's home-opening series.
The moves come as investigations examine possible failures in heat-safety procedures.
What Happened During the Workout
The incident occurred during a military-style workout led by former Green Beret Tim Ziesel.
According to the university's preliminary review, players completed approximately 45 minutes of exercise before Mayich collapsed.
Seven teammates later challenged that account, saying the session lasted 75 minutes and that warning signs of physical distress were ignored.
The players said in an anonymous letter that required safeguards were missing, including a cold-water immersion tub, ice chests, on-field temperature measurements and scheduled breaks in shaded areas.
They also alleged that Mayich received no water and remained in direct sunlight for several minutes after collapsing.
The teammates wrote that the session "continued after some of us showed signs of distress, including dropping to a knee, vomiting and, in Matthew’s case, visible disorientation well before the final task."
They also stated that "Nothing effectively cooled him" during the 17 minutes emergency medical services took to arrive.
Mayich's family attorney, Robert Carey, said the player suffered exertional heatstroke that deprived his brain of oxygen and that his chances of recovery were effectively nonexistent.
Investigations and Staff Changes
Arizona State's September 22 preliminary report found that coaches had not submitted a training plan for review and that Ziesel had not completed the university's required vetting process.
The report also documented the use of iced towels instead of the cold-water immersion recommended in the school's heat-illness guidelines, but it did not assign responsibility for the incident.
Carey criticized the report as a "whitewash." The family has sought an independent investigation and the removal of personnel who oversaw the workout.
ASU subsequently appointed retired Arizona Supreme Court Chief Justice Scott Bales to conduct an independent review of the session and the university's safety practices.
Arizona State police are also investigating, with findings expected to go to the Maricopa Attorney's Office for independent review.
Assistant coach Alex Hicks was absent from the team's home-opening series, according to ASU spokesperson Jay Thorne.
The university has not clarified whether Hicks's absence or the other staffing changes constitute disciplinary action.
Carey argued that placing Powers on leave did not adequately address the players' concerns because Hicks remained in a position of authority.
"Putting Powers on leave while his best friend of the last decade stays in charge of the locker room doesn't solve the problem," Carey told ESPN.
Carey also called for the interim head coach to have authority to remove staff members who could pose a risk of retaliation against the players.
The seven athletes said they submitted their letter anonymously because they feared repercussions from Powers and the coaching staff.
ASU athletic director Graham Rossini said the university was close to selecting an interim head coach with substantial experience in college hockey.
"We told them that we're committing to finding a veteran, experienced head coach, great knowledge of the sport, great knowledge of our conference and college hockey, specifically," Rossini said in an interview with Arizona Sports.
University spokesperson Jerry Gonzalez said assistant coach Mike Corbett would lead the bench in the meantime and that the eventual interim head coach would select the coaching staff.
Former NHL player Taylor Pyatt has also been involved with the program after receiving university approval in August.
The university confirmed that Doyle, the team's athletic trainer, had been reassigned to another sport.
Thorne said trainers are employed through ASU student health services and are reassigned regularly.
Maggie Corbett, an assistant athletic trainer for the men's and women's swimming and diving programs, was assigned to replace Doyle.
The university did not specify Doyle's new assignment.
The controversy has prompted further questions about the approval of the workout and the university's initial response.
Ziesel was invited by Powers, according to the investigation timeline, but reportedly had not completed the required screening or signed standard forms before leading the session.
ASU initially declined to identify Mayich or provide detailed information about the collapse.
Athletic director Rossini subsequently said the early review had not indicated that "something went wrong."
The university's later preliminary findings documented procedural failures but stopped short of identifying individuals responsible.
Mayich transferred to Arizona State after developing into a hockey prospect associated with the St. Louis Blues organization.
His teammates opened the season wearing yellow ribbons and his number 27 on their helmets.
ASU defeated Lindenwood 5-0 in its season opener in Missouri on October 2, a game played without Mayich or Powers.
The case has renewed attention to exertional heatstroke, a potentially fatal condition that occurs when the body overheats and cannot adequately regulate its temperature.
Exercise physiologist Doug Casa, chief executive of the Korey Stringer Institute at the University of Connecticut, said established prevention and treatment practices are not consistently implemented.
"A lot of times they know the right thing to do, but then they don't do it in the time of crisis," Casa said.
He also warned that "Heat stroke can happen at any time."
Casa's institute focuses on preventing injuries among athletes, laborers and military personnel.
The risks extend beyond competitive sports: University of Iowa marching band member Derek Phillips collapsed during a football game in temperatures exceeding 90 degrees about a week after Mayich's hospitalization and later died.
Extreme heat also affects playing surfaces.
During a Tennessee Titans game in Nashville, surface temperatures reportedly reached 157 degrees Fahrenheit.
ESPN reported that one player rolled an ankle after the heat damaged his cleats, while another player described the conditions as "It was hot as s—," adding, "I didn't play a snap, and I had to get an IV."
Mayich's case follows decades of efforts to improve athletic heat safety after NFL offensive lineman Korey Stringer died of heatstroke in 2001.
Casa said progress has been substantial but argued that consistent implementation of established safeguards remains essential to preventing further deaths.
