Toronto Star
· collected 2026-10-03 · by David Brandt The Associated Press
Story summary
Seven members of Arizona State’s hockey team anonymously sent a letter through attorney Timothy J. Casey to President Michael Crow on Monday, calling for the coaching staff to be placed on administrative leave until an independent investigation is completed into the collapse of their teammate Matthew Mayich during an outdoor workout on Aug. 20. The players fear retaliation from head coach Greg Powers and his assistant coaches, who control playing time, scholarship levels, and roster status. The letter disputes ASU’s initial probe, which stated that Mayich received proper hydration and care after collapsing; the players assert he did not receive adequate medical attention or hydration during the workout.
The parents of Matthew Mayich, John and Christina Mayich, also called for coaches involved to be placed on leave in a statement sent through their lawyer. In response, ASU athletic director Graham Rossini announced that head coach Greg Powers has been put on paid administrative leave pending an independent investigation into the incident.
NCHC supports this decision, stating it aligns with providing stability and support for both Matthew Mayich and the hockey program during these challenging times.
Written for “Arizona State Hockey Scandal” on 2026-10-04,
grounded in this article and the 13 other(s) covering the same event.
Arizona State has asked a former chief justice of the Arizona Supreme Court to lead an independent review of the collapse of hockey player Matthew Mayich during an outdoor workout in August.
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State → ask → August
Scott Bales will review Arizona State’s findings and information provided by attorneys for the Mayich family, attorneys for members of the hockey team and law enforcement, James Rund, ASU senior vice president of educational outreach and student services, said in a memo Friday to university President Michael Crow.
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Rund → review → Crow
The 21-year-old Mayich, from Stoney Creek, Ont., collapsed during a workout on the first day the NCAA allows official activities.
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NCAA → collapse → activities
He suffered from exertional heat stroke that reduced flow of oxygen to his brain and is unlikely to recover, according to family attorney Rob Carey.
uncertain
that → suffer → Carey
Rund said Bales will be tasked with making recommendations on multiple topics surrounding the planning, approval, staffing, policies and procedures for outdoor athletic activities.
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Bales → say → activities
He will also review the use of outside consultants in strength and conditioning practices.
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He → review → practices
Bales was on the Arizona Supreme Court from 2005 to 2019, serving the last five years as its chief justice.
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Bales → serve → justice
The school has requested that his review be completed by early December.
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review → request → December
The Mayich family was pleased the university brought in Bales, but not with the scope of his review.
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university → please → review
In a statement made through Carey, the Mayich family said Bales should be looking into why the workout was allowed and why it wasn’t stopped when players were in visible distress with no water or rest.
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players → make → water
They also want to know which school, conference and NCAA rules were broken.
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rules → want → ?
“Justice Bales is a respected choice and he will do an excellent job.
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he → do → job
But ASU hired him to review policies that may help prevent a tragedy like this in the future.
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that → hire → future
That’s not what’s needed right now,” the statement said.
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statement → ’ → ?
“What is necessary, and what the Mayich family has asked for and deserves, is an investigation of what went wrong on that field and who is responsible.
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who → ask → field
Justice Bales has not been asked to answer those fundamental questions.”
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Bales → ask → questions
The Mayich family pointed to the death of Maryland football player Jordan McNair after he collapsed during a workout in 2018.
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he → point → 2018
The school hired outside investigators and reported to the Maryland Board of Regents, which released the findings publicly.
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which → hire → findings
The family called for Bales to report to the Arizona Board of Regents and “not to the office whose own review has missed too much.”
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review → call → much
“There are firms that specialize in exactly this work.
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that → be → work
Some reconstruct exertional heat stroke cases and evaluate emergency preparedness,” the statement said.
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statement → reconstruct → preparedness
“Others investigate institutional and personnel failures.
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Others → investigate → failures
ASU should expand Justice Bales’ mandate to cover the questions that matter and let him bring in the expertise he needs.
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he → expand → expertise
Otherwise, it should appoint a second independent investigator to examine what ASU’s employees did and failed to do, and the conduct of whomever they allowed to run the workout that left Matthew Mayich in a hospital bed fighting for his life.”
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that → appoint → life
Arizona State’s preliminary report on its investigation said the hockey coaching staff requested permission for Timothy Ziesel, a former Green Beret, to speak with the team during a three-day team-building event.
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Ziesel → say → event
The coaching staff did not “submit a plan of training activities for review by ASU’s strength and conditioning coaches prior to the event,” the report said.
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report → submit → event
Arizona State placed hockey coach Greg Powers on administrative leave Wednesday as the investigation continues.
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investigation → place → leave
Powers will not join the team for its season opener at Lindenwood on Friday.
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Powers → join → Friday
“Our focus continues to be on Matthew and his family, and on our student-athletes to make sure they have the support they need during this time and as the season begins,” ASU athletic director Graham Rossini said in a statement after Powers was placed on leave.
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Powers → continue → leave
“We have continued to collect as much information as possible.
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We → continue → information
After thorough and careful deliberation, I believe this is the best move to provide stability for the hockey program.”
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this → believe → program
Seven players sent a letter to Crow earlier this week urging the school to place the coaches involved in the workout on administrative leave until an independent investigation is conducted.
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investigation → send → leave
The players sent the letter anonymously through an attorney, fearing retribution from the coaching staff.
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players → send → staff
They said several other players didn’t join in sending the letter out of fear of retribution.
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players → say → retribution
Mayich’s parents, John and Christina Mayich, issued a statement on Tuesday agreeing with the players that the coaching staff should be placed on leave.
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staff → issue → leave
_
AP Sports Writer John Marshall contributed to this report.
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Marshall → contribute → report
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