21-Year-Old College Hockey Player Matthew Mayich Hospitalized After Collapsing During Outdoor Workout in Arizona

Matthew Mayich.

A 21-year-old college hockey player and NHL prospect remains hospitalized after collapsing following an outdoor workout in Arizona, as questions continue to surround the circumstances that led to the medical emergency.

The athlete has been identified by his family as Matthew Mayich, a sophomore defenseman from Ontario, Canada, who recently transferred to Arizona State University.

According to local outlet AZ Family, Mayich participated in an outdoor workout on the morning of Aug. 20 before collapsing.

Emergency responders were called to Arizona State University’s Joe Selleh Track in Tempe at approximately 8:30 a.m. after receiving reports of a heat-related illness, a spokesperson for the City of Tempe told The Arizona Republic.

Tempe Fire Medical Rescue personnel responded to the scene.

Mayich was subsequently transported to a hospital in Phoenix after suffering what was described by The Arizona Republic as a potential cardiac event.

Arizona State University declined to publicly identify the athlete involved but confirmed that a member of its hockey program had collapsed during an outdoor workout.

Mayich’s family later identified him publicly.

The precise circumstances surrounding his collapse remain unclear, and no definitive cause has been announced.

The incident has nevertheless drawn particular attention because it occurred during a period of severe summer heat in Arizona.

An extreme heat warning is currently in effect in the region, with temperatures in Tempe forecast to reach as high as 114 degrees on Wednesday, Aug. 26, according to AccuWeather.

It has not been established, however, that extreme heat directly caused Mayich’s collapse.

Authorities and university officials have not released detailed information about the workout, including its duration, intensity, environmental conditions at the specific time of the incident or whether Mayich had displayed symptoms before collapsing.

Arizona State University is now investigating what happened.

According to The Arizona Republic, the incident took place during one of the first days of ASU’s fall semester, adding further attention to the circumstances surrounding the workout and the university’s athletic protocols.

As Mayich remains hospitalized, support for the young athlete has spread beyond the university and hockey communities.

On Tuesday, Aug. 25, the Canadian-Croatian Chamber of Commerce organized a virtual prayer service for Mayich through Facebook.

The organization encouraged people to send prayers and positive thoughts to the athlete and his family as they faced what it described as an extremely difficult situation.

“🙏💙 Prayers for Matthew Mayich 💙🙏 Please join in sending prayers and positive thoughts to Matthew Mayich, from Stoney Creek, Ontario, now a sophomore at Clarkson University, as he faces a very difficult time,” the organization wrote in its post.

It continued by urging the wider community to support Mayich and his loved ones.

“Let’s come together as a community and show Matthew and his family our love, strength and support. 🙏💙,” the message added.

Mayich’s cousin, Victoria Beara, also spoke about the response the family has received since the athlete was hospitalized.

Despite the pain surrounding the situation, Beara said the family had been deeply moved by the number of people offering support.

“Even though we are going through this heartbreak, it is truly such a blessing to see everyone praying and just the impact Matthew has had on so many people,” she told The Arizona Republic.

Mayich, who is from Stoney Creek, Ontario, has built a promising hockey career that has already attracted attention at the professional level.

Before transferring to Arizona State, he began his collegiate hockey career at Clarkson University in New York.

The defenseman was selected in the sixth round of the 2023 NHL Draft by the St. Louis Blues, according to USA Today, placing him among a relatively small group of college players whose professional rights are held by an NHL organization.

His move to Arizona State represented the next stage of his development as a collegiate athlete and NHL prospect.

Matthew Mayich.

Mayich’s hospitalization has therefore drawn concern from several communities connected to him — including Arizona State, his former university, hockey supporters in Canada and those following his potential path toward professional hockey.

For now, however, attention remains centered on his medical condition rather than his future on the ice.

Arizona State has confirmed that the incident is being investigated, though the university has not publicly provided extensive details about what led to the collapse.

Questions remain about whether the workout was part of an official team activity, what safety precautions were in place and what role, if any, Arizona’s extreme heat may have played.

The emergency call reportedly concerned a heat-related illness, while subsequent reporting described Mayich as having experienced a possible cardiac event.

Those descriptions do not necessarily establish a final medical diagnosis.

No official statement from Mayich’s family or medical team has publicly disclosed a confirmed diagnosis or prognosis.

The case has also drawn attention because of the inherent risks associated with strenuous outdoor exercise in Arizona during periods of extreme heat.

Summer temperatures in the Phoenix metropolitan area can routinely exceed 100 degrees, and heat-related illnesses can develop rapidly during physical exertion, particularly when temperatures and other environmental conditions become severe.

Still, authorities have not concluded publicly that Mayich’s medical emergency was caused by heat exposure.

The university investigation is expected to examine the events surrounding the workout and collapse.

The incident occurred at Joe Selleh Track, an outdoor athletic facility associated with Arizona State University in Tempe.

Emergency responders arrived there at approximately 8:30 a.m. on Aug. 20 before Mayich was transported to a Phoenix-area hospital.

Days later, he remained hospitalized.

As news of the incident spread, messages of support continued to emerge, particularly from Mayich’s hometown and the Canadian-Croatian community.

The prayer event organized on Aug. 25 reflected the growing concern surrounding the 21-year-old athlete and his family.

His cousin’s comments also highlighted how many people Mayich has connected with during his life and hockey career.

For a player who had already reached a significant milestone by being selected in the NHL Draft, the hospitalization represents an abrupt and serious interruption to what had been a promising athletic trajectory.

Mayich’s selection by the St. Louis Blues in 2023 demonstrated the professional potential scouts had seen in the Canadian defenseman.

He subsequently continued developing at the collegiate level, initially with Clarkson before moving to ASU.

But with the circumstances surrounding his collapse still under investigation, neither the university nor his family has publicly focused on when — or whether — he might return to hockey.

The immediate priority remains his health.

Arizona State University sign (stock image).

Arizona State University and the City of Tempe did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s requests for additional comment.

Until further information is released, several important details remain unknown, including what specifically triggered Mayich’s collapse, the nature of the possible cardiac event and whether environmental conditions contributed to the emergency.

What is clear is that the 21-year-old remains hospitalized following the Aug. 20 incident, while his family, teammates and supporters continue rallying around him.

As ASU investigates what happened during the outdoor workout, communities in both the United States and Canada are continuing to send prayers and messages of encouragement to Mayich and his family during what his relatives have described as an exceptionally difficult time.