NHL Prospect Matthew Mayich Sparks Outrage After ASU Workout Collapse

NHL prospect Matthew Mayich remains hospitalized after collapsing during an outdoor workout at Arizona State University, and a lawyer for his family says there is “zero chance” of recovery.

Mayich, 21, was participating in a military-style workout on the Tempe campus on August 20, when he experienced a medical emergency. Since then, attorney Rob Carey said that the university has mishandled its investigation into exactly what happened.

“It’s very clear to me that this is a time when adults have to do the right thing — sometimes the right thing is the hard thing — and from everything I can tell and the leads we have, ASU is not handling this responsibly,” Carey told The Athletic in a story published Sunday, August 31.

The outlet also reported that the workout, which took place on the first day team activities were allowed by NCAA rules, lasted about 60 minutes and included sprints, planks, pushups and bear crawls. Players who lagged behind were allegedly forced to repeat exercises or do additional sprints.

Carey told the Arizona Republic that players informed him they were not given standard breaks during the workout and that the instructor, former green beret Tim Ziesel, "yelled at them from the get-go ... like a drill instructor." Allegedly, only the players who led the exercises were guaranteed water, leaving little remaining for those who trailed behind.

Mayich allegedly showed signs of distress before collapsing.

"He was disoriented and struggled well before he collapsed," Carey said.

An attorney for Ziesel, who does not work for ASU, insisted the workout was not anything beyond what a college athlete could handle.

“There isn’t a [Division 1] athlete on the planet that would describe this as a hard day of exercising, including the ASU hockey team,” attorney Buddy Rake told Phoenix’s 12News.

Carey, however, disputed those claims, calling the workout “grueling, onerous and dangerous.”

Carey added, “A kid’s life was basically ruined, the family is devastated, and people refuse to accept responsibility.”

Mayich was entering his first season with the Sun Devils after transferring from Clarkson University. The St. Louis Blues drafted him in the sixth round of the 2023 NHL Draft.

“The entire Blues organization is keeping Matthew Mayich close to our hearts as we pray for his comfort and recovery while he continues to undergo medical treatment in Arizona,” Blues president of hockey operations, Doug Armstrong, said in a statement on Wednesday, August 26. “His agent has kept us informed about Matthew’s medical status over the last week and we extend our deepest support to his family, friends and teammates during this difficult time.”

After the incident, Arizona State confirmed that a student-athlete had collapsed and an investigation was underway.

“A student-athlete who collapsed during an outdoor exercise Thursday morning remains hospitalized,” vice president of ASU media relations Chris Fiscus said in a statement to The Athletic. “The student-athlete, a member of the ASU hockey team, is not being named by the university because of privacy interests. The university is reviewing the circumstances surrounding the workout.”