Arizona State Hockey Assistant Coach Absent Following Player's Collapse
Alex Hicks did not attend the team's home opener after defenseman Matthew Mayich was placed on life support.
Arizona State hockey assistant coach Alex Hicks was not with the team for its home opener on Friday, an absence that appears to be connected to the near-fatal collapse of player Matthew Mayich during an outdoor workout in August.
Mayich, a 21-year-old defenseman drafted by the St. Louis Blues, collapsed on August 20, the first day the NCAA permits official team activities. He suffered from external heatstroke, which reduced oxygen flow to his brain. According to the family attorney, Mayich is unlikely to recover.
Hicks did not join the team for its 2-1 defeat against Holy Cross on Friday. The university has not provided a reason for his absence. This follows head coach Greg Powers being placed on administrative leave on September 30. Powers was also absent from the team's opening weekend games at Lindenwood.
Arizona State has appointed former Arizona State Supreme Court chief justice Scott Bales to lead an independent review of the incident. The university requested the review be completed by early December. The Arizona State police department is also investigating, with a report expected to be sent to the Maricopa County Attorney's Office for review upon completion.
Seven Arizona State players sent an anonymous letter to university President Michael Crow, urging an independent review and requesting that the coaching staff involved in the outdoor workout be placed on administrative leave pending the review's conclusion. The letter also highlighted discrepancies in the university's initial investigation report. The report stated that the coaching staff did not submit a plan for training activities to ASU's strength and conditioning coaches for review before the team-building event where Mayich collapsed.
The Mayich family expressed satisfaction with Bales' appointment to investigate but voiced concerns about the scope of his review, arguing it should focus on the specific failures during the workout and identify those responsible, rather than solely examining school policies.