Blues prospect Matthew Mayich has zero chance of recovery

The situation surrounding St. Louis Blues prospect Matthew Mayich has taken a devastating and heartbreaking turn. What began as a troubling story about a college hockey player collapsing during a preseason workout has now become something far worse, with the young defenseman's family and their legal representation painting a grim picture of both his condition and the university's response to the incident.

A Life Shattered in the Arizona Heat

Robert Carey, a former deputy chief attorney general of Arizona and now a partner at the law firm Hagens Berman, is representing the Mayich family and has stated bluntly that the 21-year-old has "zero chance of recovery" after collapsing during an outdoor workout at Sun Angel Stadium on the morning of August 20. Mayich fell into a coma that day and remains hospitalized in critical condition.

The workout in question has been described as a "military-style" training session run by Tim Ziesel, a 39-year-old former military service member who is not an employee of Arizona State University. Head coach Greg Powers reportedly requested that Ziesel lead the session, which was scheduled to be the first of three consecutive days under his direction. The session took place on the first day of ASU's fall semester, the earliest date NCAA rules permit hockey teams to begin formal activities.

Multiple players who were interviewed by Carey described the roughly 50 to 60 minute workout as grueling and hostile. The exercises reportedly included sprints, planks, pushups, and bear crawls, all conducted in temperatures hovering around 86 degrees Fahrenheit with 51 percent humidity and no wind. According to the players, Ziesel shouted at them like a drill instructor, restricted water intake based on effort levels, and told athletes not to complain. Players who fell behind or failed to repeat instructions correctly were forced to do extra sprints and exercises.

Ziesel's attorney, Buddy Rake, has pushed back on those characterizations, insisting the workout was more of a team-building exercise than anything resembling actual military training. Rake told a Phoenix news outlet that "there isn't a D1 athlete on the planet that would describe this as a hard day of exercising." Carey called those claims "fictional" and part of a "false narrative" designed to manipulate the truth.

According to the National Weather Service, the conditions that morning would have warranted 15 minutes of break for every hour of exercise. Tempe Fire Medical Rescue crews were dispatched to the stadium at 8:31 a.m. for a heat-related illness.

Questions Mount Over ASU's Response

Beyond the details of the workout itself, Carey has taken sharp aim at how Arizona State is handling the aftermath. He accused the university of "circling the wagons" and called on members of the coaching staff to be placed on administrative leave, which he described as routine procedure during an investigation to separate those involved from witnesses.

ASU athletic director Graham Rossini made what he called a "really, really important distinction" during a radio interview, stating the school was conducting a "review" rather than an investigation, adding that no one was suggesting something went wrong. The school's review is being led by senior vice president James Rund, who also serves as executive vice chair for Sun Devil Sports and previously filled in as ASU's interim vice president for athletics. Carey said he has no confidence in Rund leading the process.

Rod Walters, the national director of athlete safety at Andrews Athlete, who has investigated several college athlete safety cases, weighed in on the importance of independence in such reviews. He noted that internal reviews frequently conclude that "everything was fine" and said that an outside investigation produces the most accurate results. Walters referenced his own experience investigating the death of Maryland football player Jordan McNair, during which he refused the university board of regents' request for weekly updates because it would tamper with the process.

ASU's vice president of media relations, Chris Fiscus, said the athletic department has heat illness guidelines informed by the National Athletic Trainers' Association and institutional requirements regarding outside entities who interact with student-athletes. However, Fiscus declined to answer questions about who authorized the August 20 workout or whether coaches and trainers were present.

Cary has pledged to use every resource at his disposal to obtain communications, text messages, videos, and any statements related to the incident, including any that may have been deleted. "A kid's life was basically ruined, the family is devastated, and people refuse to accept responsibility," Carey said.

Mayich was selected by the Blues in the sixth round of the 2023 NHL Draft, 170th overall. He had been joining the Sun Devils program after spending his freshman season at Clarkson University. What should have been an exciting new chapter in his hockey career has instead become a tragedy that raises serious questions about player safety, accountability, and whether the people in charge are willing to face the truth.