Arizona State is investigating the circumstances surrounding a workout that led to a men’s hockey player collapsing and requiring hospitalization following a team exercise Thursday morning, a university spokesperson said Tuesday night.Matthew Mayich, a defenseman for Arizona State and a St. Louis Blues draft pick, remained hospitalized Tuesday, a person close to the family confirmed. That person spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly.Chris Fiscus, vice president of ASU media relations, acknowledged the school’s review Tuesday.“A student-athlete who collapsed during an outdoor exercise Thursday morning remains hospitalized,” Fiscus said. “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.”
Fiscus declined to answer if the team sanctioned the workout. NCAA rules allow college hockey teams to start formal activities as soon as classes have started, and ASU began its fall semester Thursday.Tempe Fire Medical Rescue sent crews to 400 S. Rural Road, the address for Sun Angel Stadium, at 8:31 a.m. Thursday after receiving a report of a “heat-related illness.” A patient was treated there and transported to a nearby hospital, the fire department said.The average temperature in the Phoenix area on Thursday was 92.5 degrees, according to the National Weather Service, and an extreme heat warning was in effect all week. The high temperature reached 106 degrees that afternoon.The Blues drafted Mayich with the 170th pick in the sixth round of the 2023 NHL Draft.Mayich attended two prospect camps with the team in 2023 and 2024 but never signed an entry-level contract. After being drafted, he finished a four-year career with the Ontario Hockey League’s Ottawa 67s and then joined Clarkson University for one season in 2025-26.After Clarkson’s season ended in March, Mayich announced that he was transferring to ASU. He was preparing to play his sophomore season with the Sun Devils in 2026-27.
