The Edmonton Oilers decision to sign a former Team Canada junior player acquitted of sexual assault last year has come as a massive bodycheck to one longtime superfan.
asserted
decision → 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.
asserted
she → know → team
The Oilers, meanwhile, are defending the signing in direct e-mails to fans who have complained about the decision.
asserted
who → defend → decision
“I am deeply disappointed by the Edmonton Oilers’ decision to sign Alex Formenton,” Loewen’s post Wednesday says.
asserted
post → disappoint → Formenton
“Although he was acquitted in court, I cannot ignore my conscience or what this decision represents to me.”
asserted
decision → acquit → me
Loewen did not immediately respond to a request for an interview.
asserted
Loewen → respond → interview
The NHL team announced earlier Wednesday it had signed Formenton to a one-year contract worth US$850,000.
asserted
it → announce → contract
He was one of five players from Canada’s 2018 world junior team accused of sexual assault.
asserted
He → accuse → assault
The charges stemmed from an encounter with a woman after a Hockey Canada gala in London, Ont.
asserted
charges → stem → London
All five players were acquitted following a trial last year.
asserted
players → acquit → trial
The NHL later reinstated them, allowing them to resume playing beginning Dec. 1, 2025.
asserted
them → reinstate → Dec.
After the signing, Formenton said he was grateful to join the team after what he called a “difficult road.”
asserted
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.
asserted
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.
asserted
diehards → develop → her
Some of her fans live as far away as Germany and Australia.
asserted
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.
asserted
decision → say → Formenton
She says she feels betrayed and that she’s lost a team she’s supported for most of her 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.
asserted
she → say → case
“For that reason, as long as Formenton remains an Oiler, I CANNOT AND WILL NOT support or cheer for this team.”
asserted
I → remain → team
The Oilers defended the signing by pointing to what they described as a “lengthy due diligence process,” Formenton’s acquittal and his reinstatement by the NHL and Hockey Canada.
asserted
they → defend → NHL
In an e-mail to a fan, the Oilers’ ticketing and customer service team said the organization reviewed the legal proceedings, the NHL and Hockey Canada processes and “all of the information available” before making its decision.
asserted
organization → say → decision
“The team also spoke directly to Alex and those close to the matter,” the e-mail read.
asserted
mail → speak → matter
The organization said it was “comfortable providing Alex with the opportunity to return to the NHL as a member of the Edmonton Oilers.”
asserted
it → say → Oilers
“Alex is grateful for the opportunity and, like every Oilers player, he is expected to uphold the standards and expectations of our organization,” the team wrote.
asserted
team → expect → organization
“The Edmonton Oilers remain committed to fostering a respectful, professional and positive environment for our players, staff and fans.”
asserted
Oilers → remain → players
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.
asserted
Oilers → eliminate → Ducks
The team fell in the final in both 2024 and 2025 to the Florida Panthers.
asserted
team → fall → Panthers
Loewen’s post did not state whether she’d back another team.
asserted
she → state → team
She ended her post by saying she was still “Mama Stanley.”
asserted
she → end → post
“Mama Stanley belongs to ME – not the Edmonton Oilers organization,” she said.
asserted
she → belong → ME
“She represents BELIEVE, kindness, children, survivors and community.
asserted
She → represent → BELIEVE
I will not abandon her or EVER compromise her values.”
asserted
I → abandon → values
An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that sexual assault charges against Alex Formenton and four other former world junior hockey players were dropped.
asserted
charges → state → Formenton
The five players were acquitted following a trial in 2025.
asserted
players → acquit → 2025
The Aporia
