Claim: An internal ASU review found that the coaching staff did not submit a training plan for review before the Aug. 20 workout that left Matthew Mayich in a coma from heat stroke.
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Arizona State hockey player Matthew Mayich collapsed during an outdoor conditioning workout at Sun Angel Stadium on August 20, 2026. The session, which ran from around 7 to 8:30 a.m., was led by Tim Ziesel, a former Green Beret working as an outside consultant. Mayich, a 21-year-old defenseman and St. Louis Blues prospect, struggled during the workout before collapsing.
He was then taken to the hospital and was later diagnosed with exertional heat stroke, which caused a severe lack of oxygen to his brain. Mayich remained in critical condition, and his family later indicated that his brain injury was extremely serious. Questions soon emerged about how the workout had been conducted and whether proper heat-safety procedures had been followed.
The incident prompted scrutiny of the coaching staff, the outside consultant who led the workout, and Arizona State’s protocols for athletic activities in extreme heat. On September 21, Arizona State released the findings of its preliminary review. The university acknowledged several procedural problems surrounding the workout.
Most notably, the hockey coaching staff had not submitted a training plan for the session to ASU’s strength-and-conditioning department. But is that really the case? Here’s what we found!
Our verdict: True
In addition to a lack of a training plan, the review also found that Ziesel, who led the workout, did not have a contract with the university. ASU said it would establish an expert panel to review and recommend changes to its policies governing outdoor athletic activities and the use of outside consultants.
Meanwhile, the university’s police investigation into the circumstances surrounding Mayich’s collapse remained ongoing, with the findings expected to eventually be sent to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office for independent review. On September 23, head coach Greg Powers addressed the media for the first time since Mayich’s collapse.
Powers declined to discuss the specifics of the incident or answer questions about whether he felt responsible, but maintained that he was still the right person to lead the program.
“There’s obviously some things that have been said about me and I respect anything anybody has to say. But I believe I am the right guy, and 20 years of a body of work and building a program, almost 20 years now, I still believe that,” Powers said during a presser for the National Collegiate Hockey Conference.
The situation took another turn on September 28, when seven Arizona State players who had been present at the workout sent a 26-page letter to university president Michael Crow. The players challenged several aspects of the university’s preliminary account and called for Powers and the coaching staff to be placed on administrative leave.
Among their claims was that the workout lasted longer than ASU had indicated and that the players did not receive the water break described in the university’s review. They also disputed the suggestion that Mayich only began showing signs of distress during the final drill, saying he had struggled earlier in the workout.
The players also raised concerns about the response after Mayich collapsed. They alleged that he remained in the sun for several minutes and that the cooling efforts consisted of towels, squirt bottles, and a brief use of a garden hose. They further claimed that a cold-water immersion tub required under ASU’s heat policy was not available at the workout site.
The players also disputed what happened after Mayich was taken to the hospital, saying Powers initially described the situation to them as “just a little heat stroke” and assured them that Mayich would be fine.
On September 30, ASU placed Powers on paid administrative leave as the university continued investigating the circumstances surrounding Mayich’s collapse. Assistant coach Mike Corbett was tasked with leading the team for its season opener while the university considered its next steps. Powers said he supported the decision and would cooperate with the investigation.
The case remained unresolved, with ASU’s police investigation continuing and expected to be reviewed by the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office.
Our fact-checking news:
- AZ Central, August 25, 2026. Matthew Mayich, Arizona State hockey player, in hospital after collapse
- 12News, September 2, 2026. ‘We need a miracle’: Attorney for ASU hockey player says he suffered exertional heat stroke during workout
- Arizona State University, September 21, 2026. ASU’s findings
- ESPN, September 24, 2026. ASU’s Greg Powers: ‘Right guy’ despite Matthew Mayich collapse
- New York Post, September 28, 2026. Arizona State hockey players want coach put on leave, dispute school’s account of teammate’s collapse
- The Athletic, September 30, 2026. Arizona State places men’s hockey coach Greg Powers on paid leave