Petition urges Oilers to reverse Formenton deal

EDMONTON – An online petition calling on the Edmonton Oilers to reverse the signing of Alex Formenton had collected more than 19,000 signatures as of Friday morning.

The petition was started by longtime Oilers superfan Mary Loewen, known as “Mama Stanley,” who said this week she would no longer support the team while Formenton remains on the roster.

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The Oilers signed Formenton to a one-year, US$850,000 contract Wednesday. He was one of five former Canadian world junior players acquitted last year of sexual assault charges stemming from an encounter with a woman after a 2018 Hockey Canada gala in London, Ont.

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The petition says it does not challenge the court’s verdict, but argues the Oilers’ decision to sign him conflicts with the values many fans and survivors expect from the organization.

The Oilers have defended the signing, citing Formenton’s reinstatement by the National Hockey League and Hockey Canada, along with what the team called a “lengthy due diligence process.”

The petition calls on the Oilers to take “every lawful and contractually available step” to reverse the signing and adopt survivor-informed standards for future signings.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2026.