Seven anonymous Arizona State University ice hockey players have written a 26-page letter to the university president requesting that head coach Greg Powers and his assistants be placed on administrative leave following an incident in August when teammate Matthew Mayich collapsed during a training session and was left in a coma on life support. The players, who say they fear retaliation from Powers since he controls their playing time and scholarships, are challenging the university's initial findings about the incident, claiming the investigation did not accurately represent what occurred during the workout.

The players dispute several key details from the university review, including the timing and duration of water breaks during the 75-minute session, which was conducted by a former U.S. Army Green Beret. According to the players' account, the sole water break came at approximately 40 minutes (not 20 as reported), lasted only a few seconds, and only about eight players consumed any water. They describe Mayich showing signs of distress early in the workout, becoming disoriented during exercises and eventually collapsing—after which he reportedly remained in direct sunlight for several minutes with limited cooling options available, despite Arizona's extreme August heat regularly exceeding 32°C. The players also note that the coach allegedly downplayed Mayich's condition as a "little heat stroke" rather than acknowledging the severity of his medical emergency.