Arizona State asks former state chief justice to lead independent review of hockey player’s collapse

Arizona State University has appointed a former chief justice of the Arizona Supreme Court, Scott Bales, to conduct an independent review of the collapse of hockey player Matthew Mayich during a workout in August. Mayich, 21, suffered from exertional heat stroke during the outdoor workout, which led to him losing consciousness and being unlikely to recover.

Bales will be examining the planning, approval, staffing, policies, and procedures for outdoor athletic activities, as well as the use of outside consultants in strength and conditioning practices. The Mayich family has expressed their satisfaction with Bales' appointment but expressed disappointment with the scope of the review, stating that he should focus on investigating why the workout was allowed and why it was not stopped when the players displayed visible distress.

The family requested that the review be conducted by an independent investigator and reported to the Arizona Board of Regents, rather than the university's own review team.