Alex Formenton opens up about his long road back to the NHL with Edmonton Oilers
Alex Formenton is officially an Edmonton Oiler.
The Oilers announced Wednesday morning that they signed the 26-year-old forward to a one-year, $850,000 contract.
While there had been some talk about the Oilers adding another forward ahead of the 2026-27 season, few, if any, expected Formenton to be the player they ultimately brought in.
The second-round pick from the 2017 NHL Draft hasn’t played in the league since the 2021-22 season. His NHL career was put on hold after he was one of five members of Canada’s 2018 World Junior team charged with sexual assault. All five players pleaded not guilty and were acquitted by a judge in 2025.
Now, more than four years after his last NHL game, Formenton is getting another chance.
Speaking with reporters Wednesday afternoon, Formenton thanked the Oilers for the opportunity.
“I just want to say I’m very grateful to the Katz family, Stan Bowman, Jeff Jackson, and Mike Babcock for giving me this opportunity,” Formenton said. “I’m very excited to be an Oiler and look forward to trying to make the most out of this opportunity.”
It has been a long road back to the NHL for the Barrie, Ontario, native, who spent the past three seasons playing in Switzerland. Formenton acknowledged that the past few years haven’t been easy for him or his family.
“It was a difficult road. It was tough on my family and me personally,” Formenton admitted. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to be here today and look forward to making the most out of it.”
Of course, there’s also the big question of whether Formenton can still be an effective NHL player after spending so much time away from the league.
He knows the pace will be different, but he believes he’s ready to make the necessary adjustments.
“Obviously it’s a different pace, but I think I had a good summer of training and skating. I’m ready to take that next step.”
Formenton also reflected on how much he’s changed since he was last in the NHL.
“Over the last eight years, just like every other human, going through life lessons and maturing and stuff like that. I think there’s lots of lessons to take from it. Moving forward, I’m looking forward to growing as a person and growing as a player on and off the ice.”
Now, Formenton will have the chance to show that he can still be an NHL player.
There’s obviously plenty of uncertainty surrounding what he can bring to the Oilers after such a long absence, but Edmonton is giving him an opportunity to prove himself. We’ll find out soon enough if Oilers management made the right decision.
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