Arizona State Names Dave Hakstol Hockey Head Coach

Arizona State University has selected Colorado Avalanche assistant coach Dave Hakstol to lead its men's hockey program following a crisis surrounding defense prospect Matthew Mayich's collapse during a team workout. According to Elliotte Friedman, Colorado has permitted Hakstol to negotiate with Arizona State, with the new coach expected to take the bench for the Sun Devils' next game at UMass Lowell on Friday.

Hakstol's appointment comes after Arizona State placed head coach Greg Powers on paid administrative leave on September 30, 2026, while investigations into the August 20 workout continued. The incident left Mayich, a 21-year-old defenseman preparing for his first season with the Sun Devils, hospitalized with a severe injury.

Arizona State has turned to a coach with experience in both the NHL and college hockey. Hakstol previously led the Seattle Kraken during their first three seasons and coached the Philadelphia Flyers from 2015-16 through the first 31 games of the 2018-19 season.

Before entering the NHL, Hakstol spent a decade as head coach at the University of North Dakota. According to the source report, he guided the program to four conference championships and seven NCAA Frozen Four appearances, reaching the national championship in his first season.

Hakstol has served as an assistant coach with Colorado since the 2025-26 season, overseeing the team's power play. The Avalanche ranked 26th in the NHL in power-play efficiency during his tenure, converting 17.4 percent of their opportunities, according to the report.

Arizona State's coaching transition follows mounting scrutiny over the circumstances surrounding Mayich's collapse. On September 30, the university placed Powers on paid leave after seven players worked with an attorney to issue a letter challenging aspects of the school's preliminary account of the workout.

The players disputed the university's description of the session and alleged that Powers downplayed the severity of Mayich's condition after he collapsed. Assistant coaches were not placed on leave, and Mike Corbett had been assigned to lead the Sun Devils during their opening weekend against Lindenwood University while the school considered its interim coaching arrangements.

The Arizona State University Police Department also launched an independent investigation into the incident, according to reporting cited by the source article. The department's inquiry was expected to include interviews with other members of the hockey team.

Mayich transferred to Arizona State from Clarkson University after recording seven goals and 15 points in 34 games during his freshman season. The St. Louis Blues selected the 6-foot-3 defenseman in the sixth round of the 2023 NHL Draft after he spent four seasons with the Ontario Hockey League's Ottawa 67's.