The Edmonton Oilers have signed forward Alex Formenton to a one-year contract worth $850,000 US.
He was one of five players from Canada’s 2018 world junior team who were acquitted last year on sexual assault charges stemming from an encounter with a woman after a Hockey Canada gala in London, Ont.
An independent appeal board ruled last month that the players breached the Hockey Canada code of conduct, but Formenton was the only one eligible for immediate reinstatement from suspension.
The board recommended continued suspensions from Hockey Canada-sanctioned programs for Cal Foote, Carter Hart, Dillon Dube and Michael McLeod. Hart plays for the Vegas Golden Knights, and Dube plays for the St. Louis Blues.
Formenton, a 26-year-old native of Barrie, Ont., spent three seasons over the last four years with HC Ambri-Piotta in Switzerland, recording 33 goals and 19 assists for 52 points over 88 games. He last played in the NHL during the 2021–22 season with the Ottawa Senators.
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He was selected in the second round of the 2017 NHL draft by the Ottawa Senators. Over 109 career NHL games, Formenton has recorded 23 goals and 16 assists.
