EDMONTON – Dozens of protesters chanted “no means no” and “drunk isn’t consent” outside Rogers Place arena ahead of the Edmonton Oilers’ first home game on Saturday, which featured the team’s controversial new forward Alex Formenton.
Protesters held signs with messages such as “Believe Survivors” as fans streamed in, renewing calls for the Oilers to reverse their Sept. 9 signing of Formenton.
He is one of five former members of Canada’s world junior team who were acquitted last year of sexual assault charges stemming from an encounter with a woman in a hotel room after a Hockey Canada gala in London, Ont., in 2018.
Jaclyn Prouse took part in Saturday’s demonstration. She said the case shone a light on the dark side of Canada’s hockey culture and for the first time she would not be supporting her hometown team because of Formenton.
“I’ve been an Oilers fan my whole life, I’ve lived in Edmonton my whole life, and so it’s really unfortunate and heartbreaking to see the decisions that are being made by this team and the organization itself,” she said.
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“I think it’s important that we have some accountability here today.”
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Oilers superfan Mary Loewen, known as “Mama Stanley,” whose petition against Formenton has garnered nearly 70,000 signatures, said sexual assault survivors and women in general feel ignored and betrayed by the team.
“I am Mama Stanley but before anything else, I am a survivor,” she said Saturday, dressed in her signature silvery makeup and attire to mimic the Stanley Cup, complete with a tinsel wig and cup-like crown on her head.
“Fans have pleaded with the Edmonton Oilers to listen and this organization has chosen to move forward as though our voices do not matter.”
Prosecutors had argued during the players’ trial that the woman in the London, Ont., hotel room did not voluntarily consent to the sexual activity that took place, and the players did not take reasonable steps to confirm whether she consented.
Lesley Mutschke, another protester, said she shed tears when she heard the team she had supported most of her life signed Formenton.
“My heart is quite broken,” she said.
“I firmly believe that survivors should always be believed.”
The Oilers have defended the signing.
Edmonton general manager Stan Bowman has said he respects that everyone is entitled to their opinion, but the Oilers did their due diligence before signing Formenton to a one-year, US$850,000 contract.
“I’ve had a lot of conversations with Alex,” Bowman said on Wednesday. “He’s grown a lot in the intervening years from where he was then to where he is now. He’s shown that growth.”
Loewen’s isn’t the only petition related to Formenton. Another aimed at showing support for the Oilers and its forward has received more than 2,500 signatures.
“Respect the verdict,” said the message attached to the petition.
“The presumption of innocence is one of the foundations of the Canadian justice system. It exists precisely because accusations can permanently affect a person’s reputation, livelihood and future long before guilt has ever been established,” it said.
“Supporting the Edmonton Oilers’ decision to sign Alex Formenton does not require anyone to minimize sexual assault.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2026.
Awesome to see these brave protesters out there! Important messages and signs!
What would it say if we punished those poor white boys? What would it do it we ripped away their careers in hockey? Right now we are fighting for our lives on the global stage (USA, Russia, Iran, china… etc) are all trying to get us so we need symbols of out national identity here and now! These boys represent CANADA!
As a white male this hits home for me, if they got a different verdict, my whole defence goes out the window.
Anyways keep supporting these Canadian patriots and remember, no doesn’t need to mean no if you don’t want it too ;)
Go get a life and touch grass
Big turn out at the protest. Well, based on that, these hockey players should be socially cancelled and driven out of society.
We the mob have spoken. We have found them guilty. We do not need no stenking courts.
Our courts of law found Formenton not guilty.
There are programs to help people find work after getting out of prison for crimes they were found guilty of. Formenton is a hockey player. What is he supposed to do for work if he is not allowed to play hockey? He is being treated worse than criminals who are actually found guilty of crimes. They are trying to take away his means of making a living. They would sound more reasonable if they pushed for him to put in some volunteer hours in a womens shelter or something like that, and if he wanted to try and smooth things over with these protesters he might want to consider something like that, but i don’t think he should have to. He was acquitted.
Oh please, a female judge, a court of law, a video recordings all cleared these guys. What more do these people want. She was a kuzz and she isn’t the first and won’t be the last of someone trying to do cash grab.
Get over it.