This story discusses sexual assault.
"I am Mama Stanley, but before anything else, I am a survivor."
Mary Loewen, better known to Edmonton Oilers fans as Mama Stanley, was outside Rogers Place on Saturday wearing the silvery makeup, tinsel wig and cup-like crown that have made her a familiar sight during Oilers playoff runs.
This time, she wasn't there to cheer.
Loewen joined dozens of protesters outside the arena as fans arrived for the Oilers' first home game of the preseason. They were protesting Edmonton's decision to sign Alex Formenton to a one-year contract earlier this month.
Protesters chanted "no means no" and "drunk isn't consent." Signs included the words "Believe Survivors."
For Loewen, the demonstration was the latest step in a public break with the team she has spent years supporting.
The petition is nearing 70,000 signatures
Loewen launched her petition on September 10, one day after the Oilers announced Formenton's signing.
By September 11, it had already attracted more than 19,000 signatures.
It has now reached roughly 70,000, according to Change.org. That's an increase of about 50,000 in a little over a week.
https://www.change.org/p/edmonton-oilers-reverse-the-signing-of-alex-formenton
The petition calls on the Oilers and OEG Inc. to take whatever lawful and contractually available steps exist to reverse the signing and end Formenton's affiliation with the organization.
It also asks the organization to explain how the decision was made, and to establish survivor-informed standards for future signings.
Loewen's petition explicitly acknowledges the outcome of Formenton's criminal case and says it is not an attempt to declare him guilty of a crime.
"Fans have pleaded with the Edmonton Oilers to listen and this organization has chosen to move forward as though our voices do not matter," Loewen said Saturday.
Other longtime fans joined the protest
Loewen wasn't the only longtime supporter outside Rogers Place.
The Canadian Press described the demonstration as drawing dozens of protesters.
Jaclyn Prouse said she had been an Oilers fan her entire life and had always lived in Edmonton, but that the signing meant she would no longer support her hometown team.
"I've been an Oilers fan my whole life, I've lived in Edmonton my whole life, and so it's really unfortunate and heartbreaking to see the decisions that are being made by this team and the organization itself," she said.
Lesley Mutschke, another longtime fan, said she cried when she learned Edmonton had signed Formenton.
"My heart is quite broken," she said.
The protest unfolded as fans headed into Rogers Place for the game. Formenton was in the lineup.
The Oilers knew the signing would be controversial
The Oilers announced on September 9 that they had signed Formenton to a one-year contract carrying an average annual value of US$850,000.
General manager Stan Bowman has defended the decision and said the organization knew in advance it wouldn't be universally accepted.
"We knew going into it that this was something that wasn't going to be universally accepted," Bowman said as training camp opened.
Bowman has said the organization conducted extensive due diligence, including reviewing the court proceedings and the processes undertaken by the NHL and Hockey Canada.
He has also said he has spoken with Formenton numerous times and believes the 26-year-old has grown since 2018.
Formenton and four other players were acquitted
The criminal case at the centre of the controversy needs to be stated precisely.
Formenton was one of five former members of Canada's 2018 world junior hockey team charged in connection with a sexual encounter following a Hockey Canada Foundation gala in London, Ontario, in June 2018.
The case went to trial.
On July 24, 2025, Ontario Superior Court Justice Maria Carroccia acquitted all five players.
Formenton was found not guilty. The charge against him was not dropped or withdrawn.
The NHL subsequently conducted its own review and announced the players would be eligible to sign NHL contracts beginning October 15, 2025, and eligible to play beginning December 1, 2025.
Formenton was eligible to play in the NHL when Edmonton signed him.
Hockey Canada's separate process reached a different finding
The criminal acquittals weren't the end of the matter within hockey.
Hockey Canada conducted a separate process examining whether the players' actions violated its own code of conduct.
An independent appeal board confirmed findings that all five players breached that code, Hockey Canada announced in August 2026.
That process was separate from the criminal trial and applied different standards and potential consequences.
The sanctions differed substantially between the players.
Formenton was reinstated immediately. Cal Foote was suspended until November 2026, Carter Hart until November 2027, Dillon Dubé until November 2028 and Michael McLeod until November 2030. Hockey Canada said it accepted the appeal board's recommendations.
Bowman has pointed to Formenton's reinstatement when explaining Edmonton's decision.
The Hockey Canada finding does not alter the criminal verdict. Formenton remains acquitted.
Not everyone opposes the signing
There has also been organized support for Edmonton's decision.
A separate online petition supporting the signing and calling on people to respect the court verdict had attracted more than 2,500 signatures by the time of Saturday's demonstration.
Its organizers argue that supporting the Oilers' decision doesn't require minimizing sexual assault, and point to the acquittals and the presumption of innocence.
The petition totals are sharply different, but online petitions aren't scientific measures of public opinion or of the views of Oilers fans as a whole.
She showed up, but not to cheer
Loewen became recognizable to Oilers fans during the team's recent playoff runs. The elaborate Mama Stanley costume turned her into a familiar presence, particularly during postseason runs.
That history is what made Saturday unusual.
She didn't abandon the costume. She arrived at the Oilers' arena dressed as Mama Stanley, stood alongside protesters, and repeated the position she has held since the signing was announced.
For now, neither side has changed course. Formenton remains an Edmonton Oiler, and the organization continues to defend its decision.
Support is available
Sexual Assault Centre of Edmonton Support and Information Line: 780-423-4121.
Alberta's One Line for Sexual Violence: 1-866-403-8000, by phone or text.
If someone is in immediate danger, call 911.
Sources
Mary Loewen's petition, Change.org
Edmonton Oilers, Alex Formenton signing announcement
Hockey Canada, independent appeal board decision, August 2026
NHL statement following the 2025 trial
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