Protesters rally outside Rogers Place for Oilers’ first home game after Alex Formenton signing

The Story

Dozens of protesters gathered outside Rogers Place in Edmonton ahead of the Edmonton Oilers’ first home game on Saturday, chanting slogans including “no means no” and “drunk isn’t consent.” The demonstration took place as fans streamed into the arena for the Oilers’ game day, renewing criticism of the team’s handling of its newest forward, Alex Formenton.

Organizers and participants said the rally was directly linked to the Oilers’ decision to sign Formenton on Sept. 9. Protesters held signs with messages such as “Believe Survivors,” and the scene reflected ongoing public debate about the signing and the broader culture surrounding hockey.

One participant was Jaclyn Prouse, who said the Formenton case has changed her support for the team. She described the matter as bringing attention to a “dark side of Canada’s hockey culture” and said it would be the first time she would not support her hometown Oilers because of the organization’s choice.

Protesters also included a widely known Oilers supporter, Mary Loewen, who is identified in the report as “Mama Stanley.” Her petition opposing the signing has drawn nearly 70,000 signatures, and Loewen said survivors and women generally feel ignored and betrayed by the team’s decision to move forward.

Loewen said, “before anything else,” she is a survivor, and she appeared at the protest dressed with silver makeup and attire designed to resemble the Stanley Cup, including a tinsel wig and a cup-like crown. She argued that fans have pleaded with the Oilers to respond, but that the organization has proceeded without treating public concerns as significant.

The report notes that protesters cited legal developments connected to Formenton’s past as part of their critique. Formenton is described as one of five former players from Canada’s world junior team who were acquitted last year of sexual assault charges tied to an encounter with a woman in a hotel room following a Hockey Canada gala in London, Ont., in 2018.

According to the article, prosecutors during the earlier trial argued the complainant did not voluntarily consent and that the players did not take reasonable steps to confirm consent. The protest therefore unfolded against a backdrop of a completed acquittal, which some participants used to press for accountability while others emphasized different aspects of due process.

Lesley Mutschke, another protester, said she had cried after hearing the Oilers had signed Formenton. She said her “heart is quite broken,” adding to the personal nature of the public message being delivered at the arena entrance as the team began its home schedule.

While protesters expressed criticism, the Oilers have defended the decision. The report says Edmonton general manager Stan Bowman stated that he respects differing viewpoints but that the club conducted its due diligence before signing Formenton to a one-year, US$850,000 contract.

Bowman also said in comments reported in the article that he had spoken with Formenton and that the player had “grown” since the earlier period that led to the legal proceedings. In a separate effort cited in the report, another petition supporting the Oilers’ decision received more than 2,500 signatures and carried a message reading “Respect the verdict.”

The article underscores that the public debate is occurring alongside arguments on consent and the justice system. A petition in support of the signing, the report says, referred to the presumption of innocence as a foundation of the Canadian justice system, arguing that allegations can permanently affect a person’s reputation, livelihood and future even before guilt is established. The Oilers’ home-game atmosphere on Saturday therefore included both fans arriving for the match and demonstrators pressing their case outside Rogers Place as the season’s first Edmonton home game began.