NHL draft pick will likely not recover after collapsing during team workout in extreme heat, lawyer says

TEMPE, Ariz. (KPHO/Gray News) — An NHL draft pick will likely not recover after he collapsed during an outdoor workout in extreme heat, his lawyer said Tuesday.

Matthew Mayich, a sophomore defenseman at Arizona State University from Ontario, Canada, collapsed on Aug. 20 during an outdoor workout in Tempe, Arizona.

Mayich was rushed to a local hospital, where he remains.

His family’s lawyer, Robert Carey, said the 21-year-old is incapacitated, and his condition is “highly unlikely” to change.

“His family is at his side, and they are grateful for the support they’ve received from the hockey community and from Matthew’s teammates,” Carey told KPHO in a statement.

The day Mayich collapsed, temperatures reached 106 degrees, but officials noted the workout did not occur during the hottest part of the day.

Carey said his focus now is on investigating what happened that day.

Statement from ASU

In a statement, Arizona State University confirmed the school is reviewing the circumstances of the outdoor workout.

Mayich was a draft pick for the St. Louis Blues

Mayich, who is new to the Phoenix area, is wearing No. 27 in his first season with the ASU Sun Devils. He was selected by the St. Louis Blues in the 2023 NHL draft.

“The entire Blues organization is keeping Matthew Mayich close to our hearts as we pray for his comfort and recovery while he continues to undergo medical treatment in Arizona,” Doug Armstrong, Blues president of hockey operations, said in a statement posted on X. “His agent has kept us informed about Matthew’s medical status over the last week and we extend our deepest support to his family, friends and teammates during this difficult time.”

ER doctor warns of extreme heat dangers

Shortly after Mayich was hospitalized, an emergency physician and professor at ASU emphasized the extreme difficulty and danger of training in extreme heat.

“It’s very, very hard to train in this heat,” Dr. Frank LoVecchio said. “I don’t know if anyone’s going to be able to exercise really, really hard for a long time in the middle of the heat in Arizona.”

LoVecchio noted that even elite, highly conditioned athletes like Mayich will struggle when pushed in extreme temperatures.

“And something that we say, it doesn’t take long to burn brain cells, and your temperature could rise very, very quickly,” LoVecchio said. “The average person, even athletes, can’t make it in that heat. And when I say can’t make it, it’s very, very unlikely that they can make it without needing some assistance.”