The Edmonton Oilers have signed former Team Canada junior player Alex Formenton to a one-year contract worth US$850,000, despite him being accused of sexual assault in 2018. Longtime superfan Mary Loewen, known as "Mama Stanley," has publicly stated she will no longer support the team due to this decision. According to her social media post, Loewen feels betrayed and cannot ignore her conscience regarding Formenton's signing. The Oilers announced the signing earlier on Wednesday, and Formenton expressed gratitude for being given another opportunity after a "difficult road".
Written by the local model on 2026-09-10,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
The Edmonton Oilers have lost the support of one of their superfans, Mary Loewen, also known as "Mama Stanley", due to the team's decision to sign Alex Formenton, a former Team Canada junior player who was acquitted of sexual assault last year. The charges against Formenton and four other players from Canada's 2018 world junior team stemmed from an encounter with a woman after a Hockey Canada gala in London, Ont. Despite being acquitted, Loewen took to social media to express her disappointment and stated that she cannot ignore her conscience or what this decision represents to her. The one-year contract signed by Formenton is worth US$850,000. Loewen's decision not to support the team comes after a difficult road for Formenton, who was grateful to join the Oilers in his post-signing statement.
Written for “Edmonton Oilers Controversy” on 2026-09-10,
grounded in this article and the 1 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
The model judged this article politically coded and scored it -0.60, but none of the 2 quote(s) it offered could be found in the article text, so the score is not published.
Written under an earlier scoring contract, which gave a paragraph
rather than checkable quotes. Re-analysing this article replaces it.
Leaning score withheld for article 7449: no verified evidence · logged 2026-09-10
The Edmonton Oilers announcement to sign a former Team Canada junior player acquitted of sexual assault last year has come as a massive bodycheck to one longtime superfan.
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announcement → sign → superfan
Mary Loewen — affectionately known among Oilers fans as “Mama Stanley” for dressing as a sequined Stanley Cup during the playoffs — took to social media to say she’d no longer support the team.
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she → know → team
“I am deeply disappointed by the Edmonton Oilers’ decision to sign Alex Formenton,” Loewen’s post Wednesday says.
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post → disappoint → Formenton
“Although he was acquitted in court, I cannot ignore my conscience or what this decision represents to me.”
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decision → acquit → me
Loewen did not immediately respond to a request for an interview.
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Loewen → respond → interview
The NHL team announced earlier Wednesday it had signed Formenton to a one-year contract worth US$850,000.
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it → announce → contract
He was one of five players from Canada’s 2018 world junior team accused of sexual assault.
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He → accuse → assault
The charges stemmed from an encounter with a woman after a Hockey Canada gala in London, Ont.
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charges → stem → London
The NHL later reinstated all five players after charges were dropped.
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charges → reinstate → players
After the signing, Formenton said he was grateful to join the team after what he called a “difficult road.”
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he → say → what
A longtime hockey fan, Loewen caught Oiler fever during the team’s heyday in the mid-1980s, when the team won its first of five Stanley Cups.
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team → catch → Cups
In recent years, she developed the Mama Stanley persona and has been a regular fixture at Oilers games, with other team diehards posing for pictures with her.
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diehards → develop → her
Some of her fans live as far away as Germany and Australia.
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Some → live → Germany
Loewen’s post Wednesday says her decision to no longer support the Oilers isn’t tied to the team’s already-signed players, but to management’s decision to bring on Formenton.
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decision → say → Formenton
She says she feels betrayed and that she’s lost a team she’s supported for most of her life.
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she → say → life
“As a sexual assault survivor, I must stand by my morals and stand with the woman at the centre of this case,” she said.
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she → stand → case
“For that reason, as long as Formenton remains an Oiler, I CANNOT AND WILL NOT support or cheer for this team.
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I → remain → team
The Oilers were eliminated from the first round of last season’s Stanley Cup playoffs after a 5-2 Game 6 loss to the Anaheim Ducks.
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Oilers → eliminate → Ducks
The team fell in the final in both 2024 and 2025 to the Florida Panthers.
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team → fall → Panthers
Loewen’s post did not state whether she’d back another team.
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she → state → team
She ended her post by saying she was still “Mama Stanley.”
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she → end → post
“Mama Stanley belongs to ME — not the Edmonton Oilers organization,” she said.
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she → belong → ME
“She represents BELIEVE, kindness, children, survivors and community.
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She → represent → BELIEVE
I will not abandon her or EVER compromise her values.”
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I → abandon → values
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 9, 2026.
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report → publish → Press
