ASU hockey coach declines to comment on player on life support after desert workout

A 22-year-old Canadian transfer who plays for Arizona State University’s hockey team collapsed during a 45-minute desert workout in August and is now on life support, according to his family and legal representatives. The workout, led by a former Green Beret, took place at the university’s football stadium and ended with the player being taken to a nearby hospital. A review by the athletic department found that the coaching staff had not examined the workout plan, but did not assign responsibility for the incident. Head coach Greg Powers, who has led the program for more than a decade, remains in his position as the season approaches.

During a virtual press conference, The Athletic reporter Katie Strang asked Powers why he was focusing on routine hockey questions rather than the circumstances surrounding the player’s hospitalization. Powers responded that he could not answer questions about the incident and referred to an ongoing university review and police investigation. When pressed about his own accountability, Powers offered a vague reply, saying he had “modeled accountability in a lot of ways,” but declined to elaborate.

Powers also issued a prepared statement praising the university’s support for the player and his family, and noted that the team’s strength and conditioning coach continues to run workouts as usual. The press conference highlighted the tension between the reporter’s line of questioning and the coach’s refusal to discuss details of the incident.