ASU expected to name former NHL coach Dave Hakstol its new hockey coach

Arizona State is expected to name Colorado Avalanche assistant coach Dave Hakstol its head hockey coach while Greg Powers is on paid administrative leave amid an independent investigation into Matthew Mayich’s collapse during an outdoor workout on Aug. 20, The Athletic reported on Monday.

Hakstol’s first games behind the ASU bench could be this weekend, when the Sun Devils take on UMass Lowell on Friday and Saturday.

Powers was placed on leave on Sept. 30, two days before ASU’s season opener, in the aftermath of Mayich being placed on life support after collapsing during a military-style workout led by a former Green Beret.

Seven of Mayich’s teammates spoke out anonymously — to avoid potential retaliation from coaches — via letter to ASU president Michael Crow on Sept. 28, saying safety policies were ignored and the coaches should be placed on leave.

Mayich remains in “terrible, critical condition,” Mayich family attorney Leonard Aragon told KTAR News 92.3 FM on Friday.

“Frankly, I don’t believe he’s ever going to walk out of there,” the attorney said. “The family’s praying for a miracle, and absent a miracle, he won’t walk out of that hospital.”

Mayich, a sophomore defenseman, transferred to ASU this past offseason after getting drafted by the St. Louis Blues in the sixth round of the 2023 NHL Draft.

Who is ASU hockey coach Dave Hakstol?

Hakstol was in his second season as an assistant on the Avalanche coaching staff under head coach Jared Bednar.

He was previously the head coach of the expansion Seattle Kraken for their inaugural season in 2021-22. He remained the head coach there for three seasons. He also spent four years as the head coach of the Philadelphia Flyers (2015-19).

Hakstol compiled a 241-213-69 record in seven seasons as an NHL head coach.

Prior to his NHL coaching career, Hakstol had 11 seasons leading University of North Dakota. The final two were after the Fighting Sioux had moved into the National Collegiate Hockey Conference, with ASU playing now its third season in the elite conference.

The Fighting Sioux had first- and second-place finishes in the conference, and they made the NCAA Frozen Four both years. Hakstol had four other instances of leading North Dakota to the Frozen Four.

He held a 289-143-43 record over his 11-year tenure at North Dakota.

ASU athletic director Graham Rossini told Arizona Sports’ Burns & Gambo on Thursday that the top priorities in a new coach included “veteran experience within college hockey and a great knowledge of our conference.”

“The focus all along has been finding somebody who’s really aware of the unique situation that they would be coming into and the importance of stabilizing and leading this group of men,” Rossini said. “These guys want to play. That’s been the message consistently from the team is that we want to go forward.”

ASU independently investigating Matthew Mayich’s collapse

Former Arizona Supreme Court Chief Justice Scott Bales was retained to review “the facts that have been identified by the university, attorneys for the Mayich family, attorneys for members of the ASU hockey team, law enforcement agencies and others as appropriate,” according to a letter to Crow sent Oct. 2 by athletic department senior vice president James Rund.

Rund previously led the internal review of the incident, which was then disputed by the group of seven anonymous players.

Aragon told Outspoken with Bruce & Gaydos after the letter was released that Bales should report his findings to the Board of Regents to ensure its independence is verified.

Since Bales’ investigation was opened, the coaching pivot from assistant coach Alex Hicks, who was not with the team for two home games last weekend, occurred, and the athletic trainer who oversaw the workout was reassigned. 

Maggie Corbett, a trainer previously in charge of the men’s and women’s swim and dive teams and who is not related to assistant coach Mike Corbett, is filling in with the hockey team.

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