ASU Hockey Home Opener Marred by Ongoing Fallout From Player’s Collapse

Arizona State men's hockey team began their home opener on Friday night without head coach Greg Powers, who was placed on paid administrative leave following a letter from seven anonymous players disputing the school's account of a preseason workout that left 21-year-old defenseman Matthew Mayich on life support. The team also lacked associate head coach Alex Hicks, who was replaced by NHL veteran and former Phoenix Coyote Taylor Pyatt, listed as a "volunteer associate head coach."

Mayich's family lawyer, Leonard Aragorn, described Hicks as "right-hand man and enforcer" to Powers. Meanwhile, three players who participated in the first two games at Lindenwood were listed as three of five healthy scratches. It remains unclear why these players were not on the ice, though one may have removed himself from the lineup for personal reasons and is expected to return once a new interim head coach is in place.

ASU is expected to name an interim coach early next week, with two to three candidates reportedly in the final stages of the recruitment process. The investigation into the August 20 outdoor workout, conducted by ex-Green Beret Tim Zeisel and not authorized by official Sun Devil Athletics channels, is expected to be completed by early December.

However, concerns have arisen over the potential destruction of relevant evidence, as Powers may have disposed of his work cell phone containing media from the workout and communication among coaching staff before Friday's game.