On August 20, 21‑year‑old Matthew Mayich, a Sun Devil hockey player and the 2023 NHL draft pick of the St. Louis Blues, collapsed during a sanctioned outdoor workout at Arizona State University.
The sweltering conditions—temperatures near 90°F and humidity around 50%—triggered a bout of heat exhaustion, according to medical consensus, and Mayich was rushed to a hospital where he remains in a coma.
Immediate Response from ASU Hockey
The Sun Devil Hockey program quickly posted a message of support on social media, writing “Thinking of you, 27,” as the first public update on Mayich’s condition, underscoring the team’s solidarity during the crisis.
Mayich’s family has formally requested an independent investigation, separate from the university’s internal review, expressing concerns that the circumstances surrounding the workout may have been inadequately monitored.
Coaches, training staff, and a third‑party instructor identified as a Green Beret were present at the session, a detail that has drawn attention to the oversight mechanisms that were in place for the high‑temperature exercise.
While the university has not yet released a detailed timeline of events, the incident has sparked broader discussion about safety protocols for athletic activities in extreme heat, especially for student‑athletes participating in off‑season training.