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Recently, Alex Formenton was acquired by the Edmonton Oilers. He signed with the Oilers for the season for $850,000, the league minimum. Formenton is also one of five NHL players who were acquitted in 2025 on sexual assault charges. E.M. alleged that she was sexually assaulted by the hockey players in 2019 at a hotel in London, Ontario. After an eight-week trial occurred in 2025, Justice Mariah Carroccia declared the men not guilty because the evidence that E.M. gave was not reliable.
Despite Formenton’s acquittal, there has been backlash, particularly from sexual assault survivors and female fans of the Oilers.
Mary Loewen, a renowned fan and supporter of the Oilers who is better known as Mama Stanley, posted on Instagram about her stance on the issue. “Although he was acquitted in court, I cannot ignore my conscience or what this decision represents to me. I've cried in waves because I feel betrayed by an organization I have proudly loved and represented for years,” she said.
Loewen is a survivor of sexual assault, and for that reason she states that she cannot continue supporting the Oilers. Along with the Instagram post, Loewen started a petition to terminate Formenton’s contract with the team. As of Oct. 23, it has garnered over 65,000 signatures.
Edmonton Oilers manager Stan Bowman spoke on the matter at a media availability on Sept. 6, as per The St. Albert Gazette. He knew the signing of Formenton wouldn't be universally embraced, but he said the team did their own due diligence to make sure it was the right decision.
“I understand that people are going to view it differently and that’s okay,” said Bowman, according to the St. Albert Gazette.
Currently, Formenton remains with the Oilers, having played his first game with the team on Sept. 9.