Arizona State University (ASU) received an extreme heat warning on August 20, 2026. Temperatures were between 87 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit during the morning, and reached 104 degrees later in the day. This same day, at approximately 8:30 am, ASU Men’s Hockey player Matthew Mayich collapsed during a “military-style workout.” For nearly 50 days, Mayich remained in critical condition and was hospitalized in a coma on life support.
21-year-old Mayich is a defenseman and St. Louis Blues draft pick. His lawyer stated that due to the intense heat, he suffered a lack of oxygen to his brain from heatstroke and is unlikely to recover.
According to ASU’s Senior Vice President of Educational Outreach and Student Services, James Rund, the coaching staff did not submit the training or conditioning plans to the strength and conditioning coaches prior to the “team-building” event where Mayich collapsed. The event lasted three days and involved former U.S. Army green beret, Timothy Ziesel, speaking to the team. It was stated that nobody has been put at fault for this tragedy, and the coaching staff has not been fired for clearly violating policies and crossing the line.
As a student-athlete myself, I have gone through many forms of conditioning and drills, and came close to passing out multiple times. Coaches want the best for their team, but when is enough, enough? The fact that the team continued to practice outside despite the extreme heat warning and utilized unreviewed “training” shows that the athlete’s safety was not put first or even considered. Just being outside in the blistering sun at temperatures close to 100 degrees Fahrenheit is a risk, but doing military-level conditioning is borderline abuse.
The workout that occurred when Mayich collapsed was a “wind-down run” while carrying a 10-pound medicine ball. A wind-down run is supposed to be similar to a light jog after intense physical activity. However, the players stated that it was used as a punishment drill. If a team member failed to make a time or missed a count, the team would have to run again. Some people may say, “If you don’t feel good, you can stop,” or encourage athletes to verbalize their discomfort. However, many athletes, including myself, feel as though if you don’t do exactly what a coach tells you, you will be reprimanded even more, not play or just be out of the running and seen as a lost cause. The immense pressure of doing everything right at practice and finishing to the best of your ability is something every single athlete has felt before. You can’t just stop because you don’t feel good; you have to finish it.
The saddest part about this whole story is that Mayich was extremely good at his sport and was drafted in the sixth round of the 2023 NHL draft. His lawyer believes he is not recovering and will most likely die because of irresponsible coaches who decided it was okay for their team to have a pre-season military training session in a literal desert.
Arizona State University and the ASU Men’s Hockey coaching staff need to be held accountable for practically taking the life of a young and promising athlete. ASU placed the head coach, Greg Powers, on paid administrative leave. Why has he not been fired? Why is he being paid for his actions? Justice needs to be served for Matthew Mayich, his family and his teammates.
Amaya Spadola can be contacted at
aspadola@kscequinox.com
