Accountability Gap: ASU Hockey Coach Sidelined After Teammates Dispute Collapse Report
Arizona State University places Greg Powers on leave as student-athletes and family allege systemic failures during the workout that left NHL prospect Matthew Mayich in critical condition.
The administration of Arizona State University (ASU) is facing intense scrutiny over the handling of a training session that left 21-year-old hockey player Matthew Mayich in critical condition. On Wednesday, ASU athletic director Graham Rossini announced that head hockey coach Greg Powers has been placed on paid administrative leave, a move Rossini described as the best way to provide stability for the program while the university continues to collect information.
According to reporting from CBC News, the decision follows an anonymous letter sent to the university president by seven of Mayich's teammates. The players, writing through their lawyer, disputed aspects of an initial university review conducted by official James Rund. While Rund's report noted that Mayich collapsed just before 8:30 a.m. on Aug. 20 during a session at Sun Angel Stadium and found that coaches failed to submit a training plan for trainer review, the players' letter alleges a more severe failure: that Mayich "received no water" during the outdoor workout on a hot day.
Further complicating the university's narrative is the severity of Mayich's condition. Sportsnet reports that family attorney Rob Carey stated Mayich suffered from external heat stroke that reduced oxygen flow to his brain, noting the player is unlikely to recover. Mayich, a Hamilton-born NHL prospect drafted by the St. Louis Blues in 2023, remains hospitalized.
Pressure for accountability has mounted from both peers and family. In a statement released Tuesday, Mayich's parents, John and Christina Mayich, expressed agreement with the student-athletes that the coaching staff should be placed on leave, as reported by Sportsnet. The players' letter specifically highlighted that the head coach responsible for scheduling the session and selecting the instructor had remained in leadership despite the incident.
In response to the crisis, the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) issued a statement supporting ASU's decision to sideline Powers. The conference stated that the concerns raised by student-athletes "deserve to be heard and thoroughly reviewed," though it noted it would not prejudge the findings of the investigation.
As the hockey season begins this weekend, assistant coach Mike Corbett will lead the team for its opener against Lindenwood, with an interim head coach expected to be named shortly.