John and Christina Mayich have two requests.
First, they want the world to learn more about their son, Matthew.
“Matthew is a boy's boy,” Christina said. “He’s a guy's guy. He is a simple, simple guy who has an infectious smile. Anybody you talk to will tell you about his smile. He loves to fish. He fishes almost every day, every chance he can get. He loves his family. He likes to hang out at home. He doesn't like to go out partying … he just likes to be with us. He loves his girlfriend, his siblings, funny guy, chirper.
"And he, as a teammate, he obviously loves hockey. That’s his world. He likes to stand up for his teammates. He has your back. I wish you got to meet him as the Matthew we all know and love.”
“He brings joy to a room, bottom line,” John added, before Christina continued.
“When he's away for hockey, our house is different. When he is there, there is so much, so much life, so much energy. He brings a different vibe to our home, to our family, and to the neighbourhood.”
Their second request is this: no matter where you are from or what faith you follow, you pray for their 21-year-old son.
Matthew Mayich came to Arizona State last month, joining the Sun Devils after four seasons with OHL Ottawa and another at NCAA Clarkson. Days after his arrival, on Aug. 20th, Mayich collapsed during an outdoor workout and has been hospitalized since. The university is reviewing the circumstances, and a spokesman emailed Wednesday that “we expect to be able to update everyone on our review process in the coming days.”
“We've been told there was a workout scheduled for early (that day), and I guess it was hot, and the conditions weren't good for working out,” John said. “(Matthew) basically got heat stroke. (It) had nothing to do with his heart. He came in shape. He was 100 per cent ready to go this season. He worked all summer, and he was ready.
"And I guess just the heat … just snowballed from there. He ended up collapsing and is still in a coma. Considering the situation, I think we're somewhat strong in just trying to push through. We've got no choice.”
What have doctors told the family about the prognosis?
“We’re taking it day by day,” Christina answered. “We're here praying hard, praying to our Lord for a miracle.”
“He's a fighter,” added John. “So we know that, and we're giving him every chance to survive.”
John and Christina have a strong support group in Arizona, including daughter Stephanie and son Josh — two and three years younger than their brother, respectively — and Matthew’s girlfriend of four years, Alexa. But what’s really helped in immeasurable ways is support from the most unexpected places, including priests who reached out from Kenya.
“There's so many countries that we were very shocked to hear,” Christina said. “Matthew is a simple boy from Stoney Creek, Ont., and we don't know how he made it that far that people are praying for him. It's just proof that there's a lot of great people out there. We’ve seen a different side of humanity that we would have never seen if we didn't go through this.”
The Mayich family is hugely thankful to the doctors, nurses and hospital staff; Anthony Houston, who oversees eight Arizona hospitals, making sure Matthew received proper care. They were embraced by the local Lebanese community after the family visited one of their churches to pray to St. Charbel, a Lebanese-born monk revered for his powers of healing.
Among many from the hockey community: Utah coach Andre Tourigny, who scouted Matthew back when he coached the Ottawa 67's, Auston Matthews, Clayton Keller and the Xhekaj family. John and Jack Xhekaj — Arber and Florian’s father — have a long friendship.
“If we don’t speak one Sunday, we’ll speak the next,” John laughed. “We never go more than two Sundays without talking.”
And the Thompson family, led by Kim, Tage’s mother.
“Kim set up a lovely vigil for Matthew that included his (Arizona State) teammates, their family, and anybody who wanted to come out and pray for Matthew, which was very lovely and means so much to us,” Christina said.
“I think there was about 25, 26 current players and ex-players,” John said. “It was very nice to see.”
“For me, it was emotional seeing them,” Christina continued. “When you saw the team, it was like, ‘Matthew, you should be sitting there with them right now. You shouldn't be up here.’ So it was tough, but it was also very warm, very ... I can't explain. It's all in my heart, so I'm thankful to everybody.”
John Mayich has a message for Matthew’s Sun Devil teammates.
“I feel for them. I don't want them to feel guilty at all that this happened. They had to see some ugly stuff, and I just hope they can push through. I wish them nothing but the best.”
If his parents are most proud of one thing, it’s that their son had an ability to make friends of all ages, from putting together a three-year-old neighbour’s bicycle to helping Alexa’s octogenarian grandfather with his garden tomatoes. John Mayich smiled reminiscing about Ring video of young kids from the neighbourhood asking Matthew to come out and play street hockey with them, a request rarely — if ever — refused.
“He was, just … he lived life,” John said. “That’s it. He really did live life and he didn't judge anybody. Never.”
Thanks to old friends and newfound supporters worldwide, Matthew’s hospital room is personalized with unique items.
“Five of his friends flew down when they heard the news, and they bought him fishing paraphernalia,” Christina said. “Went to Bass Pro, just kind of decorated his room, which was very nice, surrounding him with the things that he loves.”
By his head there is a stone in a pouch. On his body, there’s a small medallion, called the Miraculous Medal. Christina describes the Mayiches as devout Catholics; the Miraculous Medal reminds you to keep the faith, never lose your trust in the power of prayer.
“A man from England found us, and he had sent the package, which was the rock and a Miraculous Medal. When he sent it, (with) a picture of a Sister, I didn't quite know who the Sister was. She's an Irish nun who had just passed, and she's on her way to being Canonized.
“And he took a chance, and he said, even if you don't believe, there's nothing to lose if you put this by Matthew's head. So I did, because I was just so touched. And the next day I reached out to him, and he explained to me that he felt in his heart when he heard Matthew's story that he needed to deliver this to us, to somehow find us. And he explained that he is disabled and doesn't leave home often, but this time he did. And he said this rock and this medal were blessed from a place that is near and dear to us in Medjugorje.”
(Medjugorje is a famous Catholic pilgrimage destination. Located in Bosnia-Herzegovina, it has strong historical ties to the Croatian people, which is the Mayich family’s heritage. For years, Matthew’s smartphone screensaver is him in a Luka Modric jersey, the Croatian soccer legend.)
“It was blessed by Our Lady, which to me meant the world,” Christina continued. “And I could not believe that was happening. And it was a sign that Mary, our mother, is with us. And she is leading us to her son and giving us that peace and calm. So, we thank you from the bottom of our heart that you found us all the way from England.
“There’s just so many, so many people we've met along the way that have touched our hearts and that are showing us the goodness of humanity, and they all give us hope and faith.”
“Seeing the support back home and all over the world, it's like, unexplainable,” added Josh, the younger brother. “It's something I never imagined and it's honestly a blessing.”
Christina carries a spiritual necklace she also places on Matthew’s body during her visits.
“All the kids here with us all put their crosses on here," she said. "His siblings’ crosses are here, his cousin Vicky, her husband, Owen. And we also have a special gift from Matthew's new best friend, Sister Betty, who I forgot to mention. She has been a godsend. She comes every day to visit her best friend, Matthew, and she prays for him.
“She gave me one of her own personal relics. She was in a terrible car accident. And she said not one scratch came while she had this relic. And she wanted Matthew to have it. And she said Matthew is going to return it to her when he wakes up.
“We’ve had so many people from different religions reaching out to us, letting us know that their groups are all praying for him. And I cannot tell you. It just takes our breath away. How many people are fighting for him. And we're just thankful.”
“It seems like it started on our street with the yellow ribbons and then just spread,” John added. “And that's Matthew. That's his personality. You meet him once. Someone wants to introduce him to someone else and it just spreads."
“It actually started in Canada in there's an Instagram group,” Christina added. “It's called ‘Yellow Ribbons for Matthew.’ So people are tying yellow ribbons on their trees outside. And the kids are wearing yellow ribbons. And there was just a soccer tournament in Ottawa … they were honouring Matthew by wearing “M.M” (and the) number nine, his soccer number when he was little.
“So this yellow ribbon has grown.”
There are three yellow ribbons on his hospital room window.
The family realized Matthew’s hockey dreams had a chance to become reality when Tourigny, then head coach and vice-president of hockey operations for the OHL 67's, started showing up to Matthew’s games and practices.
“People are driving six, seven hours to just watch him skate for an hour,” John said. “So to me, that's pretty cool.”
Christina: “We were excited for Matthew because he was excited.”
The Coyotes hired Tourigny away from Ottawa before Matthew played a game. Enter Dave Cameron, who also developed a strong relationship with the player and family.
“I just remember dropping Matthew off the first time in Ottawa,” John smiled. “He's 16 years old so we're driving up and we get to the house. It was COVID so you couldn't meet the billet family who are super people. I just remember this red door. I'm getting Matthew's stuff out of the car and he goes to the front porch and the door's closed. I started putting the stuff away, like what was left over back in the trunk. I look, he already shut the door. He was in the house, ready to go.”
“Yeah, we met the billet family and they're like, ‘We're new to this,’” Christina added while also smiling. “And I'm like, ‘So are we.’ And we're like, ‘Okay, bye, Matthew.’”
John added: “But he wanted to be there.”
Was he ever homesick or anything like that? Both parents immediately jump in.
“No. No. No.”
“Yeah, he missed us,” Christina continued. “But he was, you know, this is his job. This is his dream. And he loved it. And he loved all his billet families. He was very close with all of them.”
Then came the lead-up to the 2023 NHL Draft. The calls were coming to Matthew’s phone.
“All sorts of teams were reaching out,” John said.
“Matthew would go in a room and I'd be at the door listening to him talk to the teams,” Christina laughed.
John grew up a Maple Leafs fan in the era of Wendel Clark and Doug Gilmour, his favourite players.
“I think when the Leafs called him, it kind of ... kind of hit home a bit.”
Christina: “Yeah, they called a couple of times.”
John continued: “And, you know, when they call, you're just like, ‘Wow. Like, how far (Matthew has) come with this sport. It's unreal.”
The St. Louis Blues selected Matthew in the sixth round, 170th overall, in the 2023 NHL Draft. The family went to Nashville and saw it first-hand. John said they knew the Blues were a possibility, but “the reason why we went to the draft was because Tampa Bay told him to bring his skates, so you know there's interest there.”
“So we're like, ‘We better go,” Christina added.
“It's surreal, right?” John continued. “You just think of all the work … You think of all the work that we did, all the work, his grandparents, his brother and sister, and his friends.
"One thing I'll give Matthew: he surrounded himself with good people. He really has good people around. You can't name them all, but that's one thing he did right, is he surrounded himself with very good people.”
Good people attract good people.
John paused before answering: “Yeah.”
“Just seeing his dreams come true in that moment,” sister Stephanie remembered. “There was a point where I was … I don't even know, but I was getting a little nervous. I was like, ‘What's happening over here?’ When they finally called his name and you see that relief it's kind of a blur. But, at the same time, it sticks with you. You see all his hard work. At that point, it was worth it.”
“Me and Matthew would always grow up watching the draft,” Josh added. “That was always our thing. We love the draft, and to be there and for him to be a part of it was surreal, and when I came to that moment where his name got called it's something I'll never forget, ever. For St. Louis picking him — and I grew up a Boston fan — the first thing I joked about was when St. Louis beat Boston. It was a dream come true seeing my older brother get drafted.”
“When we were leaving,” Christina continued, “we were out at the corner, and there was a group of guys also drafted as well. And I see a man walk by, and he went through the crowd … and I see him go over to tap Matthew.
“And I said, ‘Johnny, who is that guy? I know him. I've seen him before.’ And he's like, ‘Oh, that's Shane Doan.’ We asked Matthew, "What did he say to you?”
John, now: “(Doan) said, ‘Congratulations. We'll be watching you.’”
“I don't know if he just said that randomly, but to Matthew, that meant a lot," Christina said.
Last spring, at a Buffalo Sabres playoff game to cheer on son Josh, Shane saw Matthew in the crowd. He walked over, tapped Matthew on the shoulder and said hello.
“It meant a lot to Matthew that he just found him in the crowd, tapped him and said that,” Christina added.
“He went out of his way to get a hold of him,” John emphasized. “It wasn't just by fluke. He went out of his way to talk to this kid.”
Since Matthew has been in hospital, Doan has reached out several times to make sure the family is okay and offer whatever help is necessary.
John and Christina also wanted to recognize Matthew’s girlfriend, Alexa. There is a joke that the “official” relationship is four years, but they’ve known each other longer than that. She carries with her a scrapbook of great photos from their times together.
“So Alexa's our special angel,” Christina said. “I met her at hockey. She came to support and watch Matthew. And ever since that date, she's been part of the family. We had just met, but we were going on a road trip right away to Ottawa so she got a crash course into the family. Her family is Matthew's family, too. Her dad's one of his best friends. They're so supportive and (Matthew) loves her so much.
“And I am so thankful, so thankful, so thankful for everyone and to share the story. If we can get prayers, more prayers for Matthew, it would mean so much to us.”
Last word to Matthew’s sister Stephanie.
“He brought light everywhere he went. He brought noise, but the best type of noise. He's so humorous, and that's something we hope and pray we can hear again. And I believe that we will.”
