Horror as college hockey star, 21, hospitalized after collapsing in practice… as school launches investigation into incident
An Arizona State hockey player was rushed to hospital after collapsing following a training session last Thursday, according to reports.
Matthew Mayich, 21, remained hospitalized as of Tuesday evening, a person close to his family confirmed to The Athletic.
The Phoenix-based school did not name the defenseman but did confirm that it would be launching an investigation into the circumstance surrounding his collapse.
Chris Fiscus, Vice President of ASU media relations, said the university is reviewing the outdoor workout that Mayich was participating in at the time.
‘A student-athlete who collapsed during an outdoor exercise Thursday morning remains hospitalized,’ Fiscus said.
‘The student-athlete, a member of the ASU hockey team, is not being named by the university because of privacy interests. The university is reviewing the circumstances surrounding the workout.’
An Arizona State hockey player was rushed to hospital after collapsing in training
Matthew Mayich, a 21-year-old defenseman, remained hospitalized as of Tuesday evening
Fiscus reportedly declined to answer if the team sanctioned the workout.
Under NCAA rules, college hockey teams are allowed to start formal activities as soon as classes have started. ASU’s fall semester began last Thursday.
Tempe Fire Medical Rescue responded to calls of a ‘heat-related illness’ 400 S. Rural Road, which is the address for Sun Angel Stadium, at around 8:31am.
Sun Angel Stadium is an outdoor track and field facility located on the campus of Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona.
The crews are said to have treated the patient on site before transporting him to a local hospital.
‘Even though we are going through this heartbreak, it is truly such a blessing to see everyone praying and just the impact Matthew has had on so many people,’ Mayich’s cousin, Victoria Beara, said per The Arizona Republic.
Phoenix has been experiencing high temperatures with the city in an extreme heat warning for the past week. The average temperature last Thursday was 92.5 degrees with a high of 106 degrees in the afternoon.
Mayich, a sophomore defenseman, started his college career at Clarkson before transferring to Arizona State this offseason.
The Ontario native was selected by the St. Louis Blues in the sixth round of the 2023 NHL Draft
Mayich, who is from Ontario, Canada, was selected by the St. Louis Blues in the sixth round of the 2023 NHL Draft.
He attended two prospect camps with the team in 2023 and 2024 but never signed an entry-level contract.
After being drafted, he finished a four-year career with the Ontario Hockey League’s Ottawa 67s.
He then joined Clarkson for the 2025-26 season, scoring 15 points on seven goals and eight assists.
Following the end of last season, Mayich announced in March that he would be transferring to ASU this season.