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Arizona State Nears Hiring Avalanche Assistant Hakstol

Arizona State University is close to appointing Colorado Avalanche assistant Dave Hakstol as the new head coach of its men’s hockey program. The decision comes amid the fallout from a serious incident that occurred on August 20, when defenseman Matthew Mayich collapsed during an outdoor workout, leaving him unlikely to recover. Greg Powers, the team’s former head coach, was placed on administrative leave on September 30, and assistant Alex Hicks was also suspended. Hakstol, who previously led the Philadelphia Flyers and Seattle Kraken, is in negotiations to take over the Sun Devils and could assume duties as early as the upcoming game against UMass‑Lowell. The university has requested former Arizona Supreme Court chief justice Scott Bales to conduct an independent review of the Mayich incident, with a deadline set for early December. Seven ASU players have written to President Michael Crow demanding an independent probe and the removal of the coaching staff involved in the workout. The review aims to identify what went wrong and who is responsible, rather than merely evaluating policies. ASU’s decision to engage Bales has been welcomed by the Mayich family, who want a thorough investigation.

· sportsnet.ca

The essential points

  1. 01Dave Hakstol, former Flyers and Kraken head coach, is in talks to lead ASU hockey
  2. 02Greg Powers and assistant Alex Hicks are on administrative leave after Mayich’s collapse
  3. 03Mayich, 21, suffered heat‑stroke‑induced brain injury and is unlikely to recover
  4. 04ASU has hired former Supreme Court chief justice Scott Bales for an independent review
The full brief

Arizona State University is close to appointing Colorado Avalanche assistant Dave Hakstol as the new head coach of its men’s hockey program. The decision comes amid the fallout from a serious incident that occurred on August 20, when defenseman Matthew Mayich collapsed during an outdoor workout, leaving him unlikely to recover. Greg Powers, the team’s former head coach, was placed on administrative leave on September 30, and assistant Alex Hicks was also suspended.

Hakstol, who previously led the Philadelphia Flyers and Seattle Kraken, is in negotiations to take over the Sun Devils and could assume duties as early as the upcoming game against UMass‑Lowell. The university has requested former Arizona Supreme Court chief justice Scott Bales to conduct an independent review of the Mayich incident, with a deadline set for early December. Seven ASU players have written to President Michael Crow demanding an independent probe and the removal of the coaching staff involved in the workout.

The review aims to identify what went wrong and who is responsible, rather than merely evaluating policies. ASU’s decision to engage Bales has been welcomed by the Mayich family, who want a thorough investigation.