Arizona State hockey players make clear statement on head coach after controversial workout that put teammate in coma originally appeared on The Sporting News.
Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Arizona State hockey’s first workout of the season ended in tragedy on Aug. 20, when defenseman Matthew Mayich collapsed and fell into a coma.
Within days, the Mayich family’s attorney revealed that there was “zero chance of recovery” for the Sun Devils player and Blues draft pick.
As pressure mounts on Arizona State to provide answers, Mayich’s teammates are taking a stand against their own head coach in a scathing letter.
Here’s how Arizona State hockey players are demanding the school take action.
Arizona State hockey players ask for coach to be put on leave
Arizona State players sent a letter to school president Michael Crow on Monday, asking that the team’s coaching staff be placed on leave and the school pass its investigation of the incident along to an independent agency, The Athletic reported.
As the investigation plays out, the players said they fear retaliation from the current coaching staff if they speak freely about the events that led to Mayich’s hospitalization.
“That fear is not directed at one person,” the players wrote, explaining that head coach Greg Powers and his staff could retaliate through playing time, scholarships and other mechanisms.
Mayich’s parents, through their attorney, previously called for the coaching staff to be suspended, citing the same reasons.
Powers, who is preparing for his 17th season at the helm of the Sun Devils, spoke publicly for the first time since the incident on Sept. 23 but declined to answer questions about it, only telling reporters that he believes he is still the “right guy” for the head coaching job.
Here’s more to know about the workout that left Mayich in a coma.
What happened to Matthew Mayich?
Mayich collapsed during an outdoor team workout on Aug. 20, the first day of team activities. The workout was led by former Green Beret Tim Ziesel, who denies that players were refused water and said he left campus shortly before Mayich collapsed.
The players alleged in Monday’s letter that the outdoor workout was more intense than previously reported, with some players receiving a “punishment” for falling behind. “Those of us who finished behind a cutoff line did additional work,” the letter says, adding that Mayich himself showed signs of “visible disorientation.”
Players also claimed Mayich did not receive water during the 75-minute workout and accused the coaching staff of doing “nothing” to cool him down before emergency services arrived 17 minutes after his collapse.
The letter sent Monday claims Powers initially said what happened to Mayich was something he had seen “a million times,” calling it, “just a little heat stroke.”
Mayich fell into a coma and has “zero chance of recovery,” his lawyer said, due to the loss of oxygen to his brain in the minutes after his collapse.