Canadian NHL prospect at Arizona State remains hospitalized after collapsing at outdoor workouts

A hockey player from southern Ontario remains hospitalized after he collapsed during an outdoor training exercise with his teammates from Arizona State University on Aug. 20.

Matthew Mayich, 21, was selected in the sixth round of the 2023 NHL draft by the St. Louis Blues. He played for four years as a defenceman for the Ottawa 67’s of the Ontario Hockey League and for one year at Clarkson University in Potsdam, N.Y. He transferred to Arizona State this year as a sophomore.

“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, the Blues’ president of hockey operations, said in a statement released on Wednesday.

“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.”

Mayich, from Stoney Creek, Ont., was taken to a hospital in Scottsdale after he collapsed in temperatures over 30 C. Tempe Fire Medical Rescue responded to what was described as a heat-related illness.

An extreme heat warning had been issued for Tempe, Ariz., where the hockey team was training.

Mayich played in more than 250 games in the OHL. He served as the 67’s alternate captain.

“The Ontario Hockey League is sending thoughts, prayers and support to former Ottawa 67’s defenceman Matthew Mayich and his family,” OHL commissioner Bryan Crawford said in a statement posted online on Wednesday. “Matthew spent four seasons in our league and earned the respect of everyone he played with and against.

“The entire league is thinking of him and pulling for him, and we are keeping his family close in our thoughts.”

The 67’s sent their best wishes to their former player on Wednesday morning.

“The entire Ottawa 67’s organization is keeping Matthew Mayich and his family in our thoughts during this unimaginably difficult time and wishing him a full and speedy recovery,” the team said in a post on X.

At Clarkson, Mayich was named the East Coast Athletic Conference rookie of the month for March. He helped Clarkson upset top-seeded Quinnipiac in the quarter-final round of the ECAC tournament.

“The Clarkson community is keeping the loved ones of Matthew Mayich in our thoughts,” Laurel Kane, the director of athletics at Clarkson, said in a statement issued Wednesday.

“Matthew was a valued member of the Clarkson hockey program. During his time here, he proved to not only be a contributor on the ice, but also a good student and teammate off the ice. Supporting our student athletes during this time is our priority.”

Earlier this week, Arizona State had acknowledged a student-athlete had collapsed, but hadn’t yet named them because of privacy interests. A spokesman said that the university is reviewing the circumstances surrounding the workout.

The Canadian Croatian Chamber of Commerce has asked members of its community to pray for Mayich and has said the rosary for him at noon each of the last two days.