Arizona State hockey players call on school president to place coach on leave after practice leaves teammate in coma

Seven Arizona State Sun Devils hockey players have written a letter asking the university president to place their head coach, Greg Powers, and his team on administrative leave after a practice left a teammate on life support and in a coma in August.

In a 26-page letter sent through an attorney, seven anonymous Sun Devils, fearing retaliation from Powers, wrote to Arizona State University President Michael Crow to furlough their head and assistant coaches, according to The Athletic.

These players are challenging the university’s initial review of the Aug. 20 practice that led to sophomore Matthew Mayich’s collapse. The examination’s findings reveal that Mayich did not receive adequate hydration and received inadequate medical care after collapsing.

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Arizona State head coach Greg Powers sits on the bench during a game against Denver at Mullett Arena in Tempe, Arizona on February 7, 2025. (Getty Images)

“The head coach and his assistant coaches were all on the field on August 20, they all remain at their positions and together they decide our playing time, scholarship levels and roster status,” the players wrote in the letter. “No one has separated us from them since this morning.

“We shouldn’t have to choose between telling the truth about August 20 and preserving what we’ve worked for our whole lives.”

ARIZONA STATE HOCKEY PLAYER, BLUES DRAFT PICK HOSPITALIZED AFTER COLLAPSE DURING PRACTICE

The players added that the “grueling” practice was hosted that day by a former U.S. Army Green Beret, but while an Arizona State report said the players had a water break about 20 minutes after practice began, the players wrote otherwise.

They claim the water break lasted about 40 minutes into the 75-minute activity, but it only lasted a few seconds. Players added that only about eight players actually drank the water because they were the first to complete a bear exploration exercise beforehand.

“The first of us to finish spent a few seconds in front of the bottles before being ordered back while others, including Matthew, were still crawling,” the players’ letter read. “That was the only water break.”

Players also wrote that the former Green Beret admitted to forgetting they needed a water break, but added that he doesn’t drink water during combat missions.

As for Mayich himself, players wrote that their teammate showed signs of distress early in practice, saying he began to become disoriented while exploring the bear. Additionally, he was unable to carry a teammate during a buddy carrying exercise.

Matthew Mayich #22 of the Ottawa 67s skates against the Oshawa Generals at the Tribute Communities Center on November 24, 2023, in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. (Getty Images)

“No one at ASU properly monitored him during practice and no one intervened,” the letter states.

When Mayich finally collapsed, players claimed he was in direct sunlight for several minutes, contradicting Arizona State’s report that he sat upright twice. Players say Mayich needed to be overshadowed by his teammates.

As for keeping it cool, players said the only things available were towels from a cooler, water from bottles and a garden hose. It was in the heat of Arizona, which in August regularly hovers in the triple digits.

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“Matthew spent most of his free time in his air-conditioned apartment because the heat was too overwhelming for him,” the players wrote of the Ontarian. Players also noted that outdoor workouts before Aug. 20 lasted about 15 minutes before returning indoors.

Powers was asked earlier this month about the incident, but he did not speak due to what a “difficult time” it has been for the program. The players, however, said their head coach downplayed Mayich’s condition when he first told them about it. They said he simply suffered a “little heat stroke”, while adding that they were “closer to doing the Frozen Four because of the training…”

The Frozen Four is college basketball’s equivalent of the Final Four.

Matthew Mayich poses for a portrait after being selected 170th overall by the St. Louis Blues in the 2023 NHL Upper Deck Draft at Bridgestone Arena on June 29, 2023, in Nashville, Tennessee. (NHLI via Getty Images)

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“From what we were able to observe, at no time did Coach Powers appear to appreciate the seriousness of the situation,” the players’ letter added.

The Sun Devils are scheduled to open their 2026-27 season Friday against Lindenwood.

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