Disturbing details emerge from investigation into Blues prospect Matthew Mayich’s collapse as he remains in a coma

The fallout from Arizona State hockey defenseman Matthew Mayich's collapse during an outdoor workout continues to intensify, and now the family's legal representation is publicly challenging how the university has responded.

Rob Carey, a former deputy chief attorney general of Arizona and now a partner at the law firm Hagens Berman, said Arizona State is mishandling its review of the incident and called for members of the coaching staff to be placed on administrative leave, per The New York Times.

"It's very clear to me that this is a time when adults have to do the right thing, sometimes the right thing is the hard thing, and from everything I can tell and the leads we have, ASU is not handling this responsibly," Carey said. He added that the university "seems to be circling the wagons."

Mayich, a 21-year-old St. Louis Blues draft pick, collapsed on Aug. 20 during what has been described as a military-style outdoor training session at Sun Angel Stadium in Tempe, Arizona. He remains hospitalized and in critical condition, according to a person close to the family who spoke on condition of anonymity. Carey has however bluntly stated that the 21-year-old has “zero chance of recovery”.

The workout reportedly lasted roughly 60 minutes and included sprints, planks, pushups and bear crawls. Multiple people briefed on the session told The Athletic that players who fell behind or failed to repeat instructions correctly were made to complete additional exercises. The instructor was identified as Tim Ziesel, a former military service member who is not a university employee. Ziesel has not responded to multiple requests for comment.

Ziesel's attorney, Buddy Rake, pushed back on characterizations of the workout's intensity, telling 12News in Phoenix that no Division I athlete would consider it a difficult session. Carey dismissed those remarks as "fictional" and part of a "false narrative."

"I've already gotten information on what happened that day, and I'm very confident it was a grueling, onerous and dangerous workout," Carey said.

Athletic director Graham Rossini drew a distinction in a radio interview last week between an investigation and what the school is conducting, calling it a review of the facts. Carey countered that placing the coaching staff on administrative leave during such a process is standard procedure to separate them from potential witnesses.

"A kid's life was basically ruined, the family is devastated, and people refuse to accept responsibility," Carey said.

Rod Walters, the national director of athlete safety at Andrews Athlete, who has investigated multiple college athlete safety cases, said an independent review from outside the institution typically produces the most reliable findings. He noted that internal reviews frequently conclude that nothing went wrong.

On the morning of Mayich's collapse, temperatures in Tempe were already 86 degrees with 51 percent humidity shortly before 7 a.m. Tempe Fire Medical Rescue crews were dispatched to the stadium at 8:31 a.m. for a heat-related illness.

The Blues organization and the broader hockey community will continue to rally around Mayich and his family as his medical situation remains dire and the dispute over accountability at Arizona State grows sharper by the day.

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.