TEMPE, AZ — Arizona State University’s head hockey coach Greg Powers has been placed on leave amid an investigation into the collapse of an athlete during an outdoor practice this summer.
Matthew Mayich, a 21-year-old St. Louis Blues NHL draft pick from Ontario, collapsed during an off-ice workout at Sun Angel Stadium on Aug. 20, 2026. He has been in a coma for 40 days.
The National Collegiate Hockey Conference released a statement Wednesday, saying Head Coach Greg Powers would be placed on leave following the incident.
“The concerns raised by student-athletes deserve to be heard and thoroughly reviewed. We will not prejudge the findings of that review. Hockey matters deeply to our conference, but the well-being of our student-athletes matters more,” the NCHC said in a statement.
Mayich family attorney Rob Carey told ABC15 more action should be taken.
"On day one, we asked ASU to put the coaching staff on leave. That's a basic, routine step. Putting Powers on leave while his best friend of the last decade stays in charge of the locker room doesn't solve the problem. If ASU won't remove him, even just to err on the side of player safety, then the interim head coach it has promised should have the authority to remove anyone who poses a risk of retaliation against these players," Carey wrote.
Powers is the only head coach ASU has had since promoting to NCAA Division I in 2015-2016. Assistant coach Mike Corbett will lead the team in their season opening games at Lindenwood University this weekend. ASU says an interim coach will be named soon.
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As we reported on Tuesday, the parents of Mayich released a statement calling for the removal of the coaching staff, including Head Coach Greg Powers, that ran the Aug. 20 workout that left their son in a coma, saying an independent investigation must be allowed to proceed without players fearing retaliation.
Seven anonymous players sent a letter to ASU President Michael Crow disputing the university's official account of the workout and making similar demands. According to a letter to President Crow on Sept. 28, players allege the workout lasted more than 75 minutes, that Mayich never received water, that exercise was used as punishment, and that required safety equipment, including a cold-water immersion tub, was not on the field. The players asked Crow to place the coaching staff on administrative leave and appoint an interim coach pending an independent investigation.
ASU's hockey season is set to open Friday at Lindenwood University.
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Read the full statement from the NCHC below:
“The NCHC supports Arizona State University's decision to place Head Coach Greg Powers on leave while the circumstances surrounding Matthew Mayich's trauma are examined. Our thoughts remain with Matthew, his family, and his teammates.
“The concerns raised by student-athletes deserve to be heard and thoroughly reviewed. We will not prejudge the findings of that review. Hockey matters deeply to our conference, but the well-being of our student-athletes matters more.
“The NCHC will remain in contact with ASU regarding its review and the steps being taken to support and protect its student-athletes.”
