ASU’s Matthew Mayich had heat stroke, lack of oxygen to brain, lawyer says
The Arizona State hockey player and St. Louis Blues draft pick who collapsed in an offseason workout suffered exertional heat stroke that reduced the flow of oxygen to his brain, his attorney told ESPN on Wednesday.
“This injury is from exertional heat stroke that caused a lack of oxygen to the brain,” attorney Rob Carey said. “There were no other contributing conditions, only exertion-related heat. This is not an induced coma. We need a miracle.”
Defenseman Matthew Mayich has been hospitalized since collapsing during an outdoor workout Aug. 20, the first day the NCAA allowed hockey teams to hold formal activities. Mayich had only arrived on campus that week, Carey said.
“He didn’t last one day. It was the first day of coach-led practice,” Carey said.
Mayich was disoriented and dizzy before collapsing toward the end of the workout, which lasted over an hour and had “minimal water,” according to Carey.
When contacted for comment Wednesday, an ASU spokesperson sent ESPN a statement the university had issued Tuesday indicating that senior vice president James Rund is leading a review of the circumstances surrounding the workout as well as university procedures and protocols.
“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,” the statement read.
“This is not an investigation where someone is suggesting something went wrong,” ASU athletic director Graham Rossini said in a radio interview last week. “We’re just reviewing the facts and understanding the scenario.”
Carey said that Mayich’s parents want an independent investigation and for the coaching staff “to be suspended so the kids have the safe space to tell the truth” without fear of retaliation.
In its guidance to schools, the NCAA warns that most nontraumatic deaths take place during “transition periods” when athletes are returning to training. “It is imperative to recognize the vulnerability during these periods and to ensure that both proper exercise and heat acclimatization are implemented,” the guidelines read.
Tempe Fire Medical Rescue was dispatched to the school’s track and field facility at approximately 8:30 a.m. in response to a heat-related incident. Temperatures had reached 90 degrees during the morning, according to the National Weather Service, with a high afternoon temperature reaching 104.
The Blues selected Mayich in the sixth round of the 2023 NHL draft, but he never signed an entry-level contract. The Stoney Creek, Ontario, native played four seasons with the Ottawa 67’s of the Ontario Hockey League before competing at Clarkson University last season.
Mayich transferred to Arizona State for the upcoming season.
Information from ESPN’s Xuan Thai and the Associated Press was used in this report.
