Talks are underway at Arizona State University to bring in a new men's hockey coach, multiple outlets have reported, as an inquiry into a player's medical episode continues.
Sun Devil Hockey is in discussions to bring Dave Hakstol — currently an assistant with the Colorado Avalanche — aboard as its next head coach, according to multiple outlets, with at least one news channel citing a source close to the matter who was not authorised to comment on the record. NHL insider Elliotte Friedman reported that Colorado had formally opened the door for Arizona State to hold talks with Hakstol, with those discussions still underway at the time. No statement from the university had been issued to verify those claims, and an ASU Athletics department representative confirmed no announcement would come that day.
Hakstol took the head coaching post at his alma mater, the University of North Dakota, in 2004, guiding the program through 11 seasons that produced seven trips to the Frozen Four. Under his direction, the Fighting Sioux reached the national championship game in his first year at the program, though the title went to another team. Across his college coaching years, he reached the finalist stage for the national coach of the year award eight times.
He took on the role of head coach with the Philadelphia Flyers in 2015, moving directly from NCAA coaching into an NHL head coaching role — a transition no college coach had completed without first passing through professional hockey since 1982. His tenure with the Flyers came to a close in 2018, a run that produced 134 wins against 101 losses and included two trips to the playoffs.
In 2021, he took the reins at the newly formed Seattle Kraken. During his second year at the helm, Seattle's expansion club reached the Stanley Cup playoffs — a postseason appearance the franchise had not previously achieved — before being eliminated by Dallas in the second round. When the Kraken's playoff bid fell short the following year, Hakstol was relieved of his position. Over the span of his tenure in Seattle, 107 victories and 112 defeats were recorded, with one postseason berth to his credit. His most recent posting has been on the Colorado Avalanche staff in an assistant's capacity.
Powers, the team's head coach, was removed from his duties on a paid administrative basis in the days leading up to the Oct. 2 season opener. Hicks, who serves on the coaching staff as an assistant, was absent from the roster trip to face Holy Cross the previous week — one more staff member caught up in the ongoing situation tied to defenseman Matthew Mayich's collapse during an Aug. 20 training session.
Rob Carey, the Mayich family's attorney, told reporters that the patient has not left hospital care and that a complete recovery is not expected. During the ongoing investigation, the family put forward a formal request for all ASU coaches to be removed from their positions. In a statement released through their legal representative, John and Christina Mayich expressed support for the team's upcoming season while calling for the coaches connected to the workout to be placed on leave pending the outcome of the investigation, citing concerns about potential retaliation.
To examine the events surrounding Mayich's collapse, ASU brought in former Arizona Supreme Court Chief Justice Scott Bales to lead a review that the university described as independent. The scope of Bales's work covers how the school planned and approved outdoor athletic events, the staffing frameworks in place, how staff prepared for and responded to incidents during those activities, and the role played by outside consultants. The Mayich family has raised concerns that the investigation falls short of fully examining the circumstances surrounding Mayich's collapse and the question of accountability.
Within days of the incident, seven players on the roster retained legal counsel to voice their concerns and push back against the university's internal review of the training session. Teammates present at the practice session told reporters that Mayich went without water throughout and appeared disoriented in the time leading up to his collapse. Concerns were also raised about how coaches and the athletic trainer handled the situation, with the family contending that established protocols went unobserved and that the call to emergency services came later than it should have. Families including the Mayiches, who have gone on record with their accounts, are asking that the full coaching staff be suspended pending further review.
Four games into the current campaign, the Sun Devils hold an even ledger — two wins and two losses — after going one-and-one in each of their series against Lindenwood and Holy Cross. Friday's schedule sends ASU on the road to face UMass-Lowell.
