The Edmonton Oilers have moved to bolster their forward group by signing Alex Formenton to a one-year deal worth US$850,000, the club announced on Wednesday. The acquisition brings a 26-year-old back into the NHL fold more than a year after he and four other members of Canada’s 2018 world junior team were acquitted of sexual assault charges linked to an incident following a Hockey Canada gala in London, Ontario. Formenton, who spent much of the past four seasons playing in Switzerland, said he views the move as a fresh start — but the decision has already drawn sharp reactions from both the hockey community and advocacy organisations.
A Return to the Ice
Formenton’s path back to the NHL has been anything but straightforward. The Barrie, Ontario native was selected by the Ottawa Senators in the second round of the 2017 draft and went on to record 23 goals and 16 assists across 109 career games in the capital. However, his time away from the league has been lengthy. Three of the past four seasons were spent in Switzerland with HC Ambri-Piotta, while the remaining campaign saw him away from the sport entirely.
The National Hockey League reinstated all five players involved in the case on December 1, 2025, clearing the way for their return to professional competition. It is worth noting that the NHL operates independently from Hockey Canada, a distinction that proved central to the reinstatement process. Formenton was the only one of the five deemed immediately eligible to resume playing under the league’s authority.
Transparency and Accountability
Formenton addressed the controversy head-on at his first Oilers practice, acknowledging the toll the process has taken on him and his family. “It was a difficult road, it was tough on my family and me personally,” he said. “Throughout the whole process it’s been pretty transparent, you know, everyone is obviously aware of the outcome. It was definitely a difficult time but I’m very grateful and thankful to be here today.”
The forward expressed optimism about what lies ahead, both as a player and as an individual. “I think there’s lots of lessons to take from it and moving forward, looking forward to growing as a person and growing as a player on and off the ice,” he added.
Oilers captain Connor McDavid voiced his support for the signing, pointing to Formenton’s conduct throughout the proceedings. “I think he’s gone through a process, he’s been transparent through the process and that process has led him here today,” McDavid said. “It’s a great opportunity for him.”
Other Players and Their Paths
The cases of the remaining four players vary significantly. Carter Hart, the former Philadelphia Flyers goaltender, signed with the Vegas Golden Knights and backstopped the team to the Stanley Cup final last spring before ultimately falling to the Carolina Hurricanes in six games. Dillon Dube, a forward, put pen to paper with the St. Louis Blues in July.
An independent appeal board ruled last month that all five players had breached the Hockey Canada code of conduct. However, only Formenton qualified for immediate reinstatement from suspension. The board recommended continued bans for Hart, Dube, Cal Foote, and Michael McLeod. Their timelines for potential return differ considerably: Foote will become eligible on November 10, Hart on the same date in 2027, and Dube in 2028. McLeod, who is currently under contract in the Kontinental Hockey League, will not be eligible for reinstatement to Hockey Canada-sanctioned programmes until November 10, 2030.
Foote, who played last season with the American Hockey League’s Chicago Wolves, also had a one-year contract with Swedish club Färjestad BK rescinded after the outfit faced public criticism for signing him.
Community Response
The Oilers’ decision to bring Formenton into the organisation has not been universally welcomed. The Sexual Assault Centre of Edmonton issued a pointed statement cautioning that the signing could send troubling signals about the values of professional sports franchises. “The Edmonton Oilers’ decision to sign Alex Formenton will have a significant impact on fans, survivors, and the broader Edmonton community,” the centre said. “For many survivors, this decision will be viewed not simply as a hockey matter, but as a painful example of sports culture prioritising talent over accountability.”
The centre urged all organisations to weigh the broader consequences of their hiring choices carefully, emphasising that such decisions communicate powerful messages about an entity’s commitment to safety, consent, and respect.
Fans, too, have been divided. “I know that all of them were acquitted — the moral judgement is where I have questions,” said Oilers supporter Mike Medicoff. Others, however, argued that Formenton should be permitted to move forward with his life and career without being defined indefinitely by a legal process from which he was cleared.
Why it Matters
This signing sits at the intersection of sport, justice, and corporate responsibility in a way that few NHL transactions do. Formenton’s return to professional hockey tests the boundaries of how leagues, clubs, and communities reconcile legal acquittal with moral accountability. The differing reinstatement timelines for the five players — stretching as far ahead as 2030 in McLeod’s case — reveal a fragmented landscape in which governing bodies apply consequences inconsistently, leaving fans and survivors to grapple with competing narratives of fairness and punishment. As the Oilers take to the ice this season with Formenton in their ranks, the organisation and its supporters will need to navigate not only the tactical implications of the signing but also the deeper questions it raises about the values that professional sport should uphold.
