Over 19,000 Sign Petition Urging Oilers to Reverse Alex Formenton Signing

More than 19,000 people have signed an online petition calling on the Edmonton Oilers to reverse their decision to sign Alex Formenton.

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

The Oilers signed Formenton to a one-year, US$850,000 contract on 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 following a 2018 Hockey Canada gala in London, Ont.

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

The Oilers have defended the signing, pointing to Formenton’s reinstatement by the NHL and Hockey Canada, as well as what the team described as a “lengthy due diligence process.”

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