What happened on an Arizona State hockey field on August 20 has now become a story about two very different versions of the same workout. And seven players are demanding that someone outside the university determine what really happened.
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Seven ASU hockey players have anonymously challenged the university’s preliminary account of the workout that left teammate Matthew Mayich on life support. Through attorney Timothy Casey, the players sent a 26-page letter to university president Michael Crow on September 28, asking for the coaching staff to be placed on administrative leave and for an independent investigation.
The players say they remained anonymous because they fear retaliation from coaches who control playing time, scholarships, and roster positions. Their letter paints a far more severe picture of the workout than the university’s initial report, alleging that Mayich showed signs of distress, received little or no water, and did not receive the emergency treatment they believe his condition required.
Casey described the session to The Arizona Republic as something that was intended to break players down rather than simply build team chemistry. The players, he said, witnessed what they considered a pattern of dangerous decisions before Mayich collapsed. Those claims remain allegations, however, as Arizona State continues its own investigation. University officials have not publicly accepted the players’ account.
The disagreement begins with the workout itself. According to the players, the session lasted roughly 75 minutes and was led by former Green Beret Timothy Ziesel. That differs from portions of ASU’s preliminary account. The players said the workout became increasingly demanding even after athletes began showing signs of distress. One player dropped to a knee, while two others vomited. They say Mayich appeared disoriented well before the final drill.
The most striking disagreement involves water. The players said the only water break came roughly 40 minutes into the workout and lasted only seconds. According to their account, the first players to finish a drill reached the bottles briefly before being ordered back, while Mayich and others were still crawling. They said Mayich never reached the water.
The players also questioned the team’s preparation for Arizona’s heat. Mayich, a Stoney Creek, Ontario, native, had arrived from a much colder climate. They said his previous outdoor sessions lasted only about 15 minutes and were mixed with indoor work in air conditioning.
The players further alleged that emergency cooling equipment was not used after Mayich collapsed. They said a cold tub was available nearby but was not used, while teammates and staff relied on towels, bottles, and other measures before moving him into the shade.
Those allegations have added another layer to an investigation that was already facing questions over the approval and supervision of the workout. The questions around Greg Powers have grown.
Head coach Greg Powers, who built ASU hockey into an NCAA Division I program, now faces intense scrutiny over the August 20 workout.
The players alleged that Powers initially minimized the seriousness of Mayich’s condition, describing it as “just a little heat stroke” and telling them that the defenseman needed an IV. They also said he later told the team there was “good news” and that Mayich would be fine.
Powers has declined to discuss the specifics of the workout while investigations continue. At an NCHC media event on September 23, he said he still believed he was the right person to lead the program, while stressing that he does not personally run the workouts.
The players, however, want the investigation to happen without the current coaching structure hanging over them. They have asked for an interim staff while an outside investigation examines the events surrounding Mayich’s collapse. They also suggested former Arizona Coyotes captain Shane Doan as a possible interim coach.
And the call for outside scrutiny is no longer coming only from inside the hockey program.
Arizona lawmakers have also called for an independent investigation, raising questions about whether a university can adequately investigate its own employees. The players’ letter has therefore widened the issue from a team controversy into a broader question about accountability and athlete safety.
For Mayich’s family, though, the debate over the report remains secondary to what happened to their son.
The 21-year-old defenseman’s promising hockey career changed in minutes on August 20.
He remains hospitalized at Barrow Neurological Institute. His family’s attorney has said doctors do not expect a meaningful recovery.
NHL stars recently paid a visit to Matthew Mayich at the hospital
During their Arizona trip, the Toronto Maple Leafs visited Mayich and his loved ones at the hospital before practicing at Mullett Arena. The team also wore shirts featuring Mayich’s face and No. 27, along with hats carrying his initials.
Auston Matthews, who grew up in Arizona, said the visit was about showing the family that they were not facing the situation alone. “The hockey community itself is pretty tight-knit,” Matthews said, while noting that support had also come from people outside the sport.
Matthew Knies, another Phoenix native, said the situation felt particularly close to home. Troy Stecher also described the circumstances as something that quickly put everything else in perspective.
Those gestures cannot change what happened on August 20. But they have underscored how far the story has traveled beyond the Arizona State locker room.
Now, seven players are asking the university to look again – this time from outside its own walls. Their central question is simple but consequential: what happened to Matthew Mayich that morning, and who should be held accountable if the players’ version is ultimately supported by the evidence?
For now, that answer remains with investigators.