Attorney criticizes ASU response after hockey player is incapacitated
An Arizona State University hockey player is currently incapacitated after an intense workout during a heat wave. Rob Carey, the attorney representing Matthew Mayich’s family, has condemned the university’s handling of the situation and is calling for the immediate dismissal of the head coach, who is now on paid leave.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, there was a collective sigh of relief—probably from the Florida Panthers—following an update on Aleksander Barkov’s injury status. The team’s captain missed all of last season due to a knee injury and recently suffered another lower-body issue during Florida’s second game this season.
Although this new injury will keep him sidelined for a while, the prognosis isn’t as grim as some had initially feared. Coach Paul Maurice stated, “He’s expected to be out for 6–8 weeks, focusing on non-surgical rehab. That’s our best guess. It might be shorter, or it could take longer, but we believe 6-8 weeks is a reasonable timeframe for recovery.”
Barkov sustained the injury after a fall along the boards during an overtime loss to the San Jose Sharks on October 1. After the fall, he quickly left the ice, visibly frustrated, tossing his gloves aside.
While the situation looked dire, and it wasn’t just a minor issue, the hope is to see Barkov back on the ice before Christmas—maybe even by Thanksgiving would be nice. Last season was quite a struggle for the Panthers, plagued by injuries, and it seems that trend might be continuing. Besides Barkov, defenseman Aaron Ekblad is currently day-to-day, and winger Jonah Gadjovich is on long-term injured reserve due to an upper-body injury.
In a more positive light, veteran forward Brad Marchand made his return on Sunday after being sidelined since last March. He scored in an overtime loss to the Anaheim Ducks, a quicker comeback than initially expected as reports had indicated he would miss the first month of the season.
The Panthers have managed just one victory this season, coming in their opening game against the Carolina Hurricanes.
