- Arizona State is reviewing the outdoor workout that left Blues prospect Matthew Mayich hospitalized
- Sources say the session was a military-style workout run by an outside group, not ASU coaches
- Read below for the statements from St. Louis and the Ottawa 67’s
Arizona State is reviewing the workout that put Matthew Mayich in a Phoenix hospital.
The Sun Devils were doing what multiple people who were there described as a “military-style workout” when the St. Louis Blues prospect collapsed on the track behind Mullett Arena on Aug. 20, Mike McMahon of College Hockey Insider reported Thursday. Those same sources said an outside party ran the session, not Arizona State coaches or staff.
The session was part of a program meant to build camaraderie and leadership. Companies market that style of training to athletic departments all over the country.
McMahon asked Arizona State to confirm who ran the workout and whether it was military-style. A school spokesperson would not address either question and pointed back to the statement the university gave reporters Tuesday:
“A student-athlete who collapsed during an outdoor exercise Thursday morning remains hospitalized. The student-athlete, a member of the ASU hockey team, is not being named by the university because of privacy interests. The university is reviewing the circumstances surrounding the workout.”
St. Louis put out its own statement Wednesday afternoon. Blues president of hockey operations Doug Armstrong said the club has been getting updates through Mayich’s agent:
“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. We extend our deepest support to his family, friends and teammates during this difficult time.”
His junior club said much the same. Here’s the message from the Ottawa 67’s:
Mayich, 21, is from Stoney Creek, Ontario. The 6-foot-2 left-shot defenseman spent four seasons with the 67’s and wore an “A” there, scoring 106 points in more than 250 games.
He put up seven goals and eight assists in 34 games as a Clarkson freshman last season, then transferred to Arizona State this summer. St. Louis took him 170th overall in 2023 and he has not signed an entry-level contract.
Tempe Fire Medical Rescue answered a call about a heat-related illness at 8:30 a.m. that Thursday, which was the first day of ASU’s fall semester and the first day the NCAA allows college hockey teams to hold formal activities. The school confirmed over the weekend that a player had been hospitalized without naming him.
Deacon Kevin Barron, who has been leading prayer services for Mayich, told the Arizona Republic that Mayich suffered a cardiac event and was in a coma. His family has asked people to keep praying:
The circumstances have drawn comparisons to September 2024, when nine Tufts men’s lacrosse players were hospitalized with rhabdomyolysis after a military-style workout. There is no indication Mayich suffered the same condition or that the two workouts were run the same way.
The university has not said how long its review will take.
