More light has been shed on the intense, outdoor workout that St. Louis Blues prospect Matthew Mayich took part in before collapsing and being hospitalized last month.
A newly obtained video shows Mayich, who was born in Stoney Creek, Ont., participating in the workout led by former U.S. Army Green Beret Tim Ziesel in which several players appear to be struggling to complete pushups on an outdoor field at Arizona State University on Aug. 20.
According to a preliminary report the university released on Tuesday, the school’s hockey coaching staff had requested permission for Ziesel to speak to the team but “did not submit a plan of training activities for review by ASU’s strength and conditioning coaches prior to the event.”
The report also stated that the temperature was roughly 30ºC and that the student athletes were involved in “callisthenics, bodyweight exercises such as pushups and planks and running.”
Will Matthew Mayich recover?
James Rund, the university official leading the review, wrote that Mayich, 21, collapsed just before 8:30 a.m. during the training session at Sun Angel Stadium on ASU’s Tempe campus.
The report states that near the end of the workout, Mayich “appeared to struggle, and then in rapid succession stumbled, dropped the medicine ball and fell to the ground.
“He attempted to get up and resume running but fell to his knees.”
Mayich suffered exertional heat stroke that reduced the flow of oxygen to his brain and is unlikely to recover, according to Rob Carey, his family’s attorney.
“Matthew is in stable but critical condition still,” Carey said on Tuesday. “The family is still praying for a miracle, but nothing has significantly changed.
“But even if that happens, we will never have the young man who came to Arizona last month, a hockey star and (by all accounts) a wonderful person.”
Who is to blame for the incident?
Carey also placed blame on the school for not being prepared to deal with a medical emergency.
“When Matthew went down, there was no plan and no preparation, so he was treated in a way that hurt his chances rather than helped them,” Carey said.
He was also critical of the school’s preliminary report and called for action.
“A month later, nobody’s been named, nobody’s been suspended, nobody’s been fired for violating the very policies ASU published today and the university wants to appoint a committee,” Carey said.
Mayich played for four seasons with the 67’s, suiting up for 256 total games. He posted 21 goals and 99 points during his OHL career before playing the 2025-26 season with Clarkson University.
He was selected in the sixth round of the 2023 NHL draft by the St. Louis Blues.