After being acquitted of sexual assault in the high-profile criminal case involving five members of the 2018 Canadian World Junior hockey team in August, Alex Formenton has signed a three and a half month contract with HC Ambri-Piotta of the Swiss League.
Formenton’s NHL rights still belong to the Ottawa Senators. The organization qualified him as a restricted free agent at the conclusion of the 2021-22 season, just as news became public that Hockey Canada had reached a $3.5 million settlement on behalf of the defendants.
The left winger has not appeared in a professional game in North America since the conclusion of the 2021-22 season, but he played parts of two seasons in Switzerland with the aforementioned HC Ambri-Piotta.
In 22 games during the 2022-23 season, Formenton recorded 10 goals and three assists. The following season, he tallied 10 goals and 16 points in 24 games.
The winger did not play at all during the 2023-24 season. When his lawyer filed documentation as part of the London criminal trial, he reported that he retired from hockey while living in Barrie, Ontario. Formenton pivoted to being a full-time construction worker while receiving training in the “operation of heavy equipment as well as the administration aspects of his new trade.”
Formenton may have stepped away from the game as the trial played out, but he never filed formal paperwork with the NHL. Now, he will attempt to resume his professional hockey career.
Signing in Europe with an organization and city that he is already familiar with makes sense.
By signing for three and a half months, Formenton is affording himself time to shake off the rust and audition for the Senators or other NHL organizations who may be interested in bringing the speedy winger into the fold. When Formenton last played, he ranked in the 99th percentile in skating speed (24.21 mph) and speed bursts over 20 mph (298) according to the NHL Edge data.
Alex Formenton’s NHL Rights Still Belong To The Ottawa Senators – What Are Their Options?
Senators general manager Steve Staios appeared on the Coming In Hot Podcast on Tuesday, where no questions were posed regarding Alex Formenton out of respect for the organization’s policy, which defers to the NHL and its own investigation into the London sexual assault case.
Today’s news will afford him a place to play while the NHL completes its investigation into the case and the judge’s findings.
At the conclusion of the criminal trial, the NHL released the following statement:
“The allegations made in this case, even if not determined to have been criminal, were very disturbing, and the behaviour at issue was unacceptable. We will be reviewing and considering the judge’s findings. While we conduct that analysis and determine next steps, the players charged in this case are ineligible to play in the league.”
It was always naive to believe that Formenton was stepping away from the game completely before the court case’s verdict was rendered. Still, restricted free agents have to sign by December 1st to play for the remainder of the season and be eligible for the NHL playoffs.
Whether that happens with the Senators remains to be seen, but today’s news is just verification that Formenton and his camp have ambitions of eventually returning to the NHL.
By Graeme Nichols
This article was first published at The Hockey News-Ottawa
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