Greg Powers, head coach of Arizona State University's hockey team, addressed members of the media for the first time since Matthew Mayich collapsed during a team workout more than a month ago.
Powers said Mayich, 21, remained hospitalized but declined to say whether he held himself responsible for what happened. Mayich has zero chance of recovery, according to a lawyer representing his family.
Powers faced questions about the workout at a Sept. 23 National Collegiate Hockey Conference media day session, his first public media appearance since Mayich’s collapse.
Powers' appearance came a day after the university released a preliminary report showing hockey coaches failed to follow the university's heat guidelines and policies for vetting an ex-Green
Beret guest trainer involved in the near-fatal outdoor workout. The report did not identify anyone responsible for the failures surrounding the workout.
Here’s what happened at the news conference, what Powers declined to discuss and what one player said about Mayich’s hospitalization.
What happened at ASU hockey media day Sept. 23?
Powers appeared alongside ASU forward Ben Muthersbaugh, who took questions first. Muthersbaugh said Mayich’s hospitalization had been difficult for the team and that a handful of players had visited him.
“It’s a super tough time right now and obviously, at the forefront of our mind is Matthew and his family,” Muthersbaugh said. “It’s tough to get ready for a season when this wrench was thrown in pretty early.”
"The guys just have been so, so close and so tight-knit. You can feel how close they’ve grown, how quickly they’ve grown this close," Powers said. "It’s been good to see them support each other in the manner in which they have.”
Muthersbaugh said the team intended to play for Mayich this season.
Did ASU hockey coach address what happened to Matthew Mayich?
Powers acknowledged Mayich’s hospitalization in an opening statement but declined to answer questions about the Aug. 20 activity or who should be held accountable.
Powers appeared uncomfortable, pursing his lips throughout the 30-minute news conference. He tried to steer the conversation away from Mayich to the team's preparation for its first game on Oct. 2.
Asked whether he held himself responsible for what happened to Mayich, Powers said, “Respectfully, I decline to answer any questions regarding August 20th.”
Powers also declined to say whether anyone had raised concerns about the workout with him or his staff beforehand, or whether he had offered to step back while the investigation continued.
When asked what had changed about workouts since Mayich's collapse, Powers said, “I don’t run workouts — our strength and conditioning coach does.”
Powers said he believed he remained the right person to lead the team, citing nearly 20 years at ASU and his relationships with former players. “I believe that I am the right guy,” he said.
But even as Powers declined to talk about Mayich, he repeatedly dropped the defenseman's name as a motivator for the team, saying the tragedy has brought players together.
"The guys are focused on playing for Matthew and they’ve done a great job with it,” he said.
What did ASU's initial report say about the workout?
Mayich collapsed shortly before 8:30 a.m. during the first session of a planned three-day team event at Sun Angel Stadium on ASU’s Tempe campus, according to preliminary findings from a university investigation.
ASU Senior Vice President James Rund outlined the findings to ASU President Michael Crow, calling for a blue-ribbon advisory panel made up of experts who would recommend how the university should conduct outdoor athletic activities and use outside consultants.
The report showed that ASU failed to follow its own heat guidelines and policies for vetting an ex-Green Beret guest trainer, Tim Ziesel, who was involved in the workout.
All three hockey coaches and the team’s assigned athletic trainer were present, along with Ziesel, the report said. The activities included calisthenics, bodyweight exercises and running.
The report said Mayich struggled while running with a medicine ball near the end of the event, stumbled and fell during nearly 90 degree morning heat.
An athletic trainer assessed him and applied iced towels and cool water. After his condition deteriorated, she called 911 and directed players to help move him into the shade, the report said.
ASU’s heat illness guidelines call for immediate cold-water immersion as the first choice for treating heat illness. The initial report describes the use of towels and water but does not describe an ice bath.
Robert Carey, the attorney representing Mayich’s family, has said Mayich was not immersed in one.
Did ASU's initial report identify anyone responsible?
Rund’s initial report did not identify anyone responsible for the missed training-plan review or outline accountability measures. It also did not determine what caused Mayich’s collapse.
Rund proposed a panel of experts to recommend how ASU should conduct outdoor athletic activities and use outside consultants.
Carey called the report a “whitewash” and said the university was trying to avoid responsibility. He has called for an outside law enforcement agency to investigate Mayich’s collapse, arguing that ASU police cannot conduct an independent inquiry into the university.
Is ASU hockey still happening this year?
The Sun Devils continue to practice in preparation for their season opener series in St. Charles, Missouri, against Lindenwood on Oct. 2.
The Arizona Republic sports reporter Jenna Ortiz contributed to this article.
Rey Covarrubias Jr. is a reporter for The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com. Email him at: rcovarrubias@azcentral.com, and connect with him on Instagram, Threads, Bluesky and X at @ReyCJrAZ.
Robert Anglen is an investigative reporter for The Republic. Reach him at robert.anglen@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on X @robertanglen.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: What Greg Powers said about Matthew Mayich at ASU hockey media day
