New shocking detail emerges in Matthew Mayich case that could have saved his life

Arizona State University's hockey program continues to face mounting scrutiny in the wake of defenseman Matthew Mayich's collapse during a preseason outdoor workout on August 20. But the latest revelations about how the session was arranged may be the most damning yet.

According to a report from Robert Anglen of the Arizona Republic, the former Green Beret who led the workout, Tim Ziesel, was never formally contracted by the university. Instead, he was brought on through an informal handshake agreement with head coach Greg Powers and other staff members, according to Ziesel's attorney Buddy Rake.

"Tim didn't fill out any forms," Rake told the Arizona Republic. "He met coaching staff and shook hands. He spoke to the head coach."

That arrangement reportedly bypassed ASU athletic department guidelines, which require outside consultants to submit a request form before interacting with student-athletes. The policy is designed to give administrators time for a thorough review before any activities take place.

Mayich family attorney Rob Carey said he was not aware of any contract but was not surprised that proper steps may have been skipped. "They did not follow a lot of things," Carey said in a September 14 interview with the Arizona Republic. "It is really unfortunate, because any one of these things could have saved Matthew's life."

The 21-year-old defenseman from Stoney Creek, Ontario, had reportedly been in the Phoenix area for only about five days before being sent into the military-style training session. That timeline may have violated ASU's own heat acclimatization policy, which calls for a gradual exposure period of seven to 14 days.

The session reportedly lasted around 50 to 60 minutes and included sprints, push-ups, bear crawls, and carrying teammates. Players described an atmosphere resembling basic training, with yelling from the start and limited access to water. Weather data from that morning showed temperatures approaching 89 degrees with roughly 50 percent humidity, conditions that met or exceeded ASU's own "high" threshold on its heat-stress index.

Carey has said that Mayich showed visible signs of distress well before he collapsed and that no cold water immersion tub was available when he went down, despite ASU's own policy identifying it as the first line of treatment for exertional heat illness.

Mayich, a St. Louis Blues prospect selected in the sixth round of the 2023 NHL Draft, remains hospitalized at Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix. Carey has indicated that describing his condition as a coma is not accurate, stating that Mayich's condition is irreversible.

The ASU Police Department has opened a formal criminal investigation, though Carey has requested the probe be handed to an outside agency, arguing that ASUPD's oversight by the same university administration creates a conflict of interest. As of September 11, Carey had not received a response from ASU or any law enforcement agency.

Carey has also raised concerns that coaches involved in the workout continue to oversee players and that no steps have been taken to separate witnesses from those under scrutiny. Players reportedly fear retaliation if they speak out.

The Mayich family continues to hold daily prayer vigils as the investigation deepens and the questions surrounding accountability at Arizona State grow harder to ignore.