Arizona Lawmakers Join ASU Hockey Players in Call for Outside Investigation

Two Arizona state legislators have joined the push for an independent investigation into the collapse of Arizona State men’s hockey player Matthew Mayich during a preseason workout.

The move comes after seven anonymous rostered ASU players wrote a 26-page letter calling for coaching staff to be placed on leave pending an independent investigation into Mayich’s hospitalization. The 21-year-old first-year transfer collapsed after a grueling outdoor military-style training session, and is currently on life support in an Arizona hospital. Mayich family lawyer Rob Carey said the St. Louis Blues prospect has no chance of meaningful recovery. 

The players’ letter was delivered to ASU president Michael Crow via a lawyer out of fear of reprisal from the ASU coaching staff, who have jurisdiction over athletes’ scholarships and playing time. It disputed several key facts and accounts of the Aug. 20 workout and the university’s following response that appeared in a preliminary report released by ASU on Sept. 21, including the conditions under which the workout took place and the medical response to Mayich’s collapse.

Monday night following the release of the students’ letter, Arizona House and Senate Education chairs Matthew Gress and Hildy Angius sent their own letter to Arizona Board of Regents chairman Doug Goodyear, requesting him to retain an independent investigator. The Board of Regents oversees operations of educational systems or universities.

“Those differences deserve a thorough, independent investigation by someone who answers to the Board of Regents,” State Sen. Angius wrote to Front Office Sports. 

State Rep. Gress tells FOS he and Angius had been discussing the ASU situation for several weeks, and were prompted by the letter to make the formal call for the independent investigation. 

“These seven athletes have real fear of giving their side of the story because of potential retaliation. … It shouldn’t be like that, and it does raise some culture questions about the team that an independent investigator might address,” Gress says. “Whoever is at fault, at a minimum, needs to be terminated from the university—that goes without question.” 

In the letter to Goodyear, Gress and Angius provided a deadline of an Oct. 9 response, shortly after the upcoming Board of Regents meeting on Oct. 1. Gress says he does not know if the topic is officially being taken up; there are currently three open items on the Board of Regents meeting agenda, all of which are marked as “administrative business.”

The offices of Democratic Arizona Sens. Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego, and Republican Arizona 4th District Rep. Greg Stanton, did not respond to requests for comment as to whether they would also call for an outside investigation. Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said Tuesday she will not take over the ongoing ASU review.

Mayich’s family has also renewed their push for an independent inquiry.

There is a precedent for outside reviews into injuries sustained from on-campus college athletics workouts, such as the one into the Tufts men’s lacrosse “Navy SEAL Workout” in 2024, which caused 24 players to develop exertional rhabdomyolysis. It was conducted by an outside consultant in sports medicine.

ASU declined comment to FOS. The National Collegiate Hockey Conference, in which the Sun Devils play, did not return a request for comment.

The team’s head coach is Greg Powers, who has overseen ASU men’s hockey since 2010, and is the only head coach in the program’s Division I tenure. Powers, along with his coaching staff, were all present during the Aug. 20 workout that injured Mayich. They remain in their positions. ASU’s formal practice with coaches was reportedly cancelled Tuesday; ASU administrators will meet with players individually.

Their season opens on Friday against Lindenwood.

Along with the call for an independent investigation, Gress tells FOS that he is exploring potential legislation for the 2027 session that protects players as whistleblowers.