TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Seven members of Arizona State's hockey team have sent a letter to the school president calling for the coaching staff to be placed on administrative leave until an independent investigation into the collapse of a teammate is completed.
The letter sent to President Michael Crow through an attorney on Monday also contradicted some of the facts stated in Arizona State's initial probe into the collapse of Matthew Mayich during an outdoor workout on Aug. 20.
The players sent the letter anonymously through attorney Timothy J. Casey out of fear of retaliation. The letter said several other members of the team share their concerns and questions, but opted to not join the letter for fear of retaliation for speaking the truth.
“We are submitting this report anonymously because we fear retaliation from the coaching staff,” the letter said. “That fear is not directed at one person. The head coach and his assistant coaches were all on the field on August 20, all remain in their positions, and together they decide our playing time, scholarship levels, and roster status. No one has separated us from them since that morning.”
Mayich, a defenseman who was drafted by the St. Louis Blues, collapsed during an outdoor workout on the first day the NCAA allows teams to hold formal activities. He remains hospitalized and his family's attorney has said the 21-year-old is unlikely to recover after suffering exertional heat stroke that reduced flow of oxygen to his brain.
The Arizona State police department is investigating the incident and a report will be sent to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office for independent review when completed.
Arizona's House and Senate education committee chairs called for an independent investigation of Arizona State's hockey workout after reading the letter from the players.
“Seven players who were on that field have raised serious questions that ASU’s own review does not answer,” House education committee chairman Matt Gress said. “We need an independent investigation to determine whether ASU followed its own rules, who was responsible for protecting these athletes, and what happened when Matthew Mayich showed signs of distress. ASU should not be left to investigate its own conduct and decide whether anyone should be held accountable.”
Arizona State's initial report showed ASU hockey coaches were present during the workout, but plans for the training session were not submitted to the school.
The players' letter claims multiple parts of ASU exertional heat policy were not followed before and after Mayich collapsed, including progressive acclimatization to Arizona's heat, frequent rest periods and access to fluids whenever needed.
The letter said the workout was 75 minutes of constant exertion and only the players who did well at the task were allowed a break for liquids. Mayich was not among the players who were allowed to hydrate, it said.
The letter said Mayich appeared to be disoriented much earlier than the ASU report said and was not properly cooled before paramedics arrived. It also said coach Greg Powers downplayed the severity of Mayich's condition, telling players he had “just a little heat stroke” and told the players he would be fine before practice the next day.
The players called for the staff responsible for approving, conducting and supervising the session be placed on administrative leave and name an interim coaching staff. It also called for the investigation to be referred to an agency outside of the university.
“An interim staff would allow the investigation to be completed and the players to be heard, without asking players to put their scholarships, roster positions, and playing time at risk in order to be heard,” the letter said. “It is not fair to require that.”
The Blues drafted Mayich in the sixth round of the 2023 NHL draft, but he never signed an entry-level contract. The Stoney Creek, Ontario, native played four seasons with the Ottawa 67’s of the Ontario Hockey League before playing at Clarkson University last season.
Mayich transferred to Arizona State for the upcoming season.
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FILE - Members of the Arizona State University hockey team skate on the ice at the new Mullett Arena, Oct. 24, 2022, in Tempe, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin, File)
The Athletics entered the season with high hopes, and for good reason.
They had a young core of talented players and came off a season in which they put together a 35-29 record after the All-Star break. The A's also played in baseball's worst division, the AL West, which Houston ultimately won with a .500 mark.
But then the injuries happened. Mark Kotsay said Monday it was unlike anything he has seen in his five seasons as manager.
“Even as a player, I can’t recall a roster of your top five opening day players in the lineup going down and not having them for 60-plus games,” said Kotsay, who played 17 big league seasons.
The injuries — as well as a pitching staff that struggled to keep balls inside the Athletics' temporary, hitter-friendly Triple-A stadium in West Sacramento, California — took a toll. Instead of making a playoff run, the A's went 64-98. Only Colorado and the Los Angeles Angels posted worse records.
“We didn’t win enough games and we’re not satisfied with the overall results,” interim general manager Dan Feinstein said. “We came into the year expecting to contend, and obviously that didn’t happen. At the same time, we made real progress in some important areas, and we saw continued growth from a number of our young players who were frankly thrust into some unexpected roles.”
Feinstein pointed specifically to infielders Zack Gelof and Joshua Kuroda-Grauer and outfielder Henry Bolte making the most of their chances, which could benefit the A's when they play their scheduled third and final season in Sacramento before the club's planned move to Las Vegas in 2028.
A potential lockout hangs over the start of next season, but Feinstein said the A's are proceeding as if everything is on schedule.
This season showed the unexpected could certainly create negative consequences.
Nick Kurtz, Brent Rooker, Jacob Wilson, Shea Langeliers and Tyler Soderstrom were on the injured list for a combined 340 games. Only Langeliers among that group finished the season, and the catcher did it as a designated hitter.
The A's also placed infielder Max Muncy on the IL with a knee injury last week.
Starting pitcher Luis Severino was placed on the IL on May 30 because of strained right shoulder and never took the mound again. Severino signed a $67 million, three-year contract in December 2024, but can opt out after this season. The right-hander is 10-17 with a 4.43 ERA in his short time with the A's.
“It’s ultimately his decision,” Feinstein said. “I don’t want to get ahead of it. We’ve enjoyed having him here and once he makes his decision, we’ll have a better sense of what the next steps are.”
As far as next steps with other players, Kurtz and Rooker took batting practice late in the season and Kotsay said he expected a “normal” offseason for them. Wilson and Soderstrom are going through the rehabilitation process through winter, and Muncy's knee needs to be “further evaluated,” the manager said.
Feinstein said the A's, as they routinely do, will evaluate every aspect of their organization now that the season is over, including the training and medical staffs.
But Kotsay said there wasn't a unifying reason why the A's had some many players get hurt.
“For Luis Severino going out and playing the WBC, you always question the intensity that he threw at so early in the year as to possibly leading to his injury,” Kotsay said. “Shea Langeliers was a specific play. Tyler Soderstrom was a specific play.
“So if we're looking at strength and conditioning, training staff, medical as a cause, I think you have to look at the injury specific as opposed to the training methods. Generally, the training methods lead to muscle strains, in particular lower-half hamstrings, things of that nature. Correct me if I'm wrong, but elbow, things like of that nature in our arm care programs have held up really well in this organization.”
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Athletics manager Mark Kotsay, right, argues a call at first base with umpire Jordan Baker, left, during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Phil Long)
Athletics' Shea Langeliers, right, walks back to the dugout as Cleveland Guardians' Patrick Bailey, left, looks on after a strikeout by Cleveland Guardians relief pitcher Cade Smith for the final out of a baseball game, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Phil Long)
