Portland, ME – Phoenix Coyotes prospect Brett MacLean continues to show improvement after suffering a cardiac emergency last Monday in Owen Sound, Ontario.

MacLean has been moved out of the intensive care unit to the cardiac care unit at Knight University Hospital in London, Ontario. His condition has been steadily improving every day since collapsing on July 2 while playing hockey. He’s awake and alert and has been talking and walking since the weekend as doctors continue to perform diagnostic test to see why he collapsed. No reason for the collapse has yet been identified.

“We have been in contact with Brett’s family and the hospital over the past week and the reports are that he is doing well and his condition is improving,” Coyotes GM Don Maloney said in a statement released Monday. “Brett will continue to undergo tests with the cardiology team at University Hospital in London, Ontario.”

The 23-year-old was playing a pickup game with Jason Gallagher and Jason Silverthorn at an Owen Sound Rec Center when he collapsed suddenly on the ice. Gallagher and Silverthorn immediately began CPR, while Jay Forslund, a local firefighter who was in the stands, grabbed the center’s automated defibrillator (AED) unit, using it to shock MacLean’s heart. Paramedics needed to shock MacLean two more times before being taken to local hospital and later airlifted to the London hospital.

MacLean, who is aware of what happened, but has no recollection of the events that unfolded, later thanked Gallagher and Silverthorn by Twitter.

“I owe a lot to Jason Gallagher and Jay Forslund,” MacLean said on Twitter. “They helped save my life. Thank you.”

MacLean played 63 games for the Coyotes’ AHL affiliate, Portland Pirates, after beginning the season with the Winnipeg Jets. MacLean began the season in training camp with the Pirates, but was claimed on waivers by the Jets. After five games with the Winnipeg organization, he was reclaimed by Phoenix and was assigned to Portland, scoring 48 points on the season.