Alex Formenton breaks silence on Rogers Place protest after scoring in Oilers debut
Photo credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Alex Formenton addressed the protest outside Rogers Place after his Oilers preseason debut, saying he is staying laser focused on making the team.
Alex Formenton took the ice for his Edmonton Oilers preseason debut on Saturday with more than one hundred protesters gathered outside Rogers Place, but none of that tension carried inside once the puck dropped.
The 26 year old winger scored in his first appearance for the club, a moment that went unmarked by boos despite months of controversy surrounding his signing.
Head coach Mike Babcock said afterward that Formenton could turn into a difference maker for this Oilers roster as he works his way into a regular role.
Protesters gather outside Rogers Place
Outside, demonstrators chanted and carried signs renewing calls for the Oilers to reverse the September 9 signing.
Formenton is one of five former members of Canada's 2018 world junior team who were charged and later acquitted of sexual assault stemming from an encounter following a Hockey Canada gala in London, Ontario.
General manager Stan Bowman has stood behind the decision, saying the organization did its due diligence and has seen real growth from Formenton in the years since.
After the game, Formenton was asked directly about the backlash and the protest outside the rink.
"Yeah, to be honest, i've been laser-focused on trying to, you know, make this team and get better every day. and, you know, whatever role that i have on this team, trying to perfect that. so, i've had laser focus on getting better each day."
- Alex Formenton
- Alex Formenton
He avoided engaging with the controversy twice, instead pointing to his effort to earn a spot on the roster and sharpen his role this season.
Formenton says he is tuning out the noise
Asked a follow up about blocking out distractions, he doubled down, repeating that his focus stays on getting better with each practice and each game.
For Edmonton, it remains a balancing act between on ice performance and off ice scrutiny that shows no sign of fading before the regular season opens.
Formenton's preseason showing gave the coaching staff something concrete to point to, even as the protests outside Rogers Place suggest the debate around his signing is far from settled.
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