ASU Hockey Player Matthew Mayich’s Family Accuses University of Mishandling Collapse Investigation
An attorney representing Mayich’s family criticized the university’s handling of the review and demanded that coaching staff face administrative leave.
Legal Representation Disputes University Response to Workout Collapse
Rob Carey, an attorney with the law firm Hagens Berman and former deputy chief attorney general of Arizona, stated that Arizona State University is mishandling the inquiry into the hospitalization of Matthew Mayich. According to statements reported by The Athletic, Carey called for members of the coaching staff to be placed on administrative leave while facts are gathered. “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 said, adding that the university “seems to be circling the wagons.”
Mayich collapsed on August 20, the opening day of the fall semester, which marks the earliest date NCAA regulations allow hockey programs to begin formal team activities. While the university did not officially name the athlete due to privacy regulations, NHL franchise officials confirmed the player’s identity and medical status.
“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,” St. Louis Blues president of hockey operations Doug Armstrong said in an official statement. Mayich was drafted by the Blues in the sixth round of the 2023 NHL Draft, following junior careers with the Ottawa 67’s and Clarkson University before transferring to Arizona State.
Conflicting Accounts of Training Rigors and Oversight
Multiple individuals familiar with the August 20 session described a demanding 60-minute outdoor routine featuring sprints, planks, pushups, and bear crawls. According to those sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, the session required players to repeat instructions back to the leader and maintain a precise exercise count, with extra conditioning penalty laps assigned for lagging behind or failing compliance.
The instructor leading the physical training was identified as 39-year-old former military service member Tim Ziesel, a nonuniversity employee. Buddy Rake, an attorney representing Ziesel, disputed characterizations of the workout’s intensity. In a statement to Phoenix television station 12News, Rake asserted that no Division I athlete would classify the routine as excessively difficult.
Carey countered those descriptions, labeling them as a “false narrative” designed to obscure the nature of the training session. “I’ve already gotten information on what happened that day, and I’m very confident it was a grueling, onerous and dangerous workout,” Carey said, adding that his legal team intends to secure all available digital communications, videos, and potential records related to the event.
Arizona State athletic director Graham Rossini stated in a radio interview that the institution is conducting a review rather than a formal investigation. “This is not an investigation where someone is suggesting something went wrong. We’re just reviewing the facts and understanding the scenario,” Rossini said. Chris Fiscus, vice president of ASU media relations, noted that the athletic department maintains heat illness guidelines informed by the National Athletic Trainers’ Association alongside institutional rules governing outside entities interacting with student-athletes. Fiscus did not answer inquiries regarding who authorized the August 20 session or whether institutional coaches and trainers were present.
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