Matthew Mayich’s parents urge Arizona State to sideline coaches during probe

The parents of Arizona State hockey player Matthew Mayich are calling on the university to remove the coaches who oversaw an August workout until an independent investigation is completed. John and Christina Mayich issued a statement through family lawyer Rob Carey on Tuesday, responding publicly to the on-ice program’s handling of the incident in Tempe, Ariz.

Their request aligns with a letter sent Monday by seven Arizona State players to university president Michael Crow. In that letter, the players asked that the staff involved in the Aug. 20 outdoor workout be placed on administrative leave while an outside agency investigates. The players submitted the letter anonymously through an attorney, saying they feared potential retaliation from members of the coaching staff.

Family backs players’ concerns and seeks independent process

In their statement, the Mayichs stressed that they want the team to be able to play its season while the situation is examined at arm’s length. Through Carey, they said they support the program but believe the coaches who ran the Aug. 20 session should be removed from their duties during an independent review so players do not have to worry about how speaking out might affect their relationship with staff.

The parents also pushed back against speculation about their wishes, emphasizing that they want clarity on what happened and a process that keeps current players safe. They said any questions about their expectations should be directed to them and underlined that their priority is accountability and an environment where players can focus on hockey rather than on whether coaches suspect them of talking.

Mayich in critical condition as multiple investigations proceed

Mayich, a 21-year-old defenceman drafted by the St. Louis Blues, collapsed during the outdoor workout on the first day the NCAA permits official activities. According to Carey, he suffered an external heat stroke that cut off oxygen to his brain, and he is unlikely to recover. The severity of his condition has intensified scrutiny of how the workout was conducted and supervised.

The players’ letter to Crow highlighted what they described as discrepancies between their accounts and findings from an initial internal review by Arizona State. They also asked that an interim coaching staff be installed if the involved coaches are placed on leave.

The Arizona State police department is investigating the incident and plans to forward its report to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office for independent review once the work is finished. In addition, the chairs of Arizona’s House and Senate education committees have called for their own independent look into the hockey program’s Aug. 20 workout after reading the players’ letter.

As those processes unfold, the Mayich family continues to press for a thorough, independent examination of the circumstances around their son’s collapse and for measures they say are necessary to protect his teammates going forward.