The Matthew Mayich tragedy at ASU, offseason changes in NCAA hockey

In the first of three USCHO Weekend Review Offseason episodes, Ed Trefzger, Jim Connelly and Robert Morris coach Derek Schooley begin with the serious medical situation involving Arizona State defenseman Matthew Mayich.



Mayich was hospitalized after collapsing during an outdoor team workout in August. The panel discusses the circumstances surrounding the workout, the questions facing Arizona State and the broader responsibilities schools have for athlete safety, oversight and accountability.



The conversation then turns to a series of major changes affecting NCAA hockey:



• How the NCAA’s governance restructuring gives hockey greater authority over sport-specific decisions

• Why Division I men’s and women’s hockey can now take different approaches to playing rules

• New rules and safety measures entering the college game

• The temporary waiver allowing additional institutional staff members to provide technical and tactical instruction

• Whether expanded player-development staffs will create a competitive arms race

• The push toward a longer college hockey schedule—and why a 40-game maximum has not yet been approved



The episode examines how these developments fit together and whether college hockey is beginning to govern itself with more independence than ever before.



Recorded September 2, 2026. The Matthew Mayich discussion reflects information publicly available at the time of recording.



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