Oilers defend Formenton signing as superfan ‘Mama Stanley’ withdraws support

EDMONTON — The Edmonton Oilers’ decision to sign a former Team Canada junior player acquitted of sexual assault last year has come as a massive body check to one longtime superfan.

Mary Loewen — affectionately known among Oilers fans as “Mama Stanley” for dressing as a sequined Stanley Cup during the playoffs — took to social media to say she’d no longer support the team.

The Oilers, meanwhile, are defending the signing in direct emails to fans who have complained about the decision.

“I am deeply disappointed by the Edmonton Oilers’ decision to sign Alex Formenton,” Loewen’s post Wednesday says.

“Although he was acquitted in court, I cannot ignore my conscience or what this decision represents to me.”

Loewen did not respond to a request for an interview.

The NHL team announced earlier Wednesday it had signed Formenton to a one-year contract worth US$850,000. He was one of five players from Canada’s 2018 world junior team accused of sexual assault.

The charges stemmed from an encounter with a woman after a Hockey Canada gala in London, Ont. All five players were acquitted following a trial last year. The NHL later reinstated them, allowing them to resume playing beginning Dec. 1, 2025.

After the signing, Formenton said he was grateful to join the team after what he called a “difficult road.”

A longtime hockey fan, Loewen caught Oiler fever during the team’s heyday in the mid-1980s, when the team won its first of five Stanley Cups.

In recent years, she developed the Mama Stanley persona and has been a regular fixture at Oilers games, with other team diehards posing for pictures with her.

Some of her fans live as far away as Germany and Australia.

Loewen’s post Wednesday says her decision to no longer support the Oilers isn’t tied to the team’s already-signed players, but to management’s decision to bring on Formenton.

She says she feels betrayed and that she’s lost a team she’s supported for most of her life.

“As a sexual assault survivor, I must stand by my morals and stand with the woman at the centre of this case,” she said.

“For that reason, as long as Formenton remains an Oiler, I CANNOT AND WILL NOT support or cheer for this team.”

The Oilers defended the signing by pointing to what they described as a “lengthy due diligence process,” Formenton’s acquittal and his reinstatement by the NHL and Hockey Canada.

In an email to a fan, the Oilers’ ticketing and customer service team said the organization reviewed the legal proceedings, the NHL and Hockey Canada processes and “all of the information available” before making its decision.

“The team also spoke directly to Alex and those close to the matter,” the email read.

The organization said it was “comfortable providing Alex with the opportunity to return to the NHL as a member of the Edmonton Oilers.”

“Alex is grateful for the opportunity and, like every Oilers player, he is expected to uphold the standards and expectations of our organization,” the team wrote. “The Edmonton Oilers remain committed to fostering a respectful, professional and positive environment for our players, staff and fans.”

The Oilers were eliminated from the first round of last season’s Stanley Cup playoffs after a 5-2 Game 6 loss to the Anaheim Ducks. The team fell in the final in both 2024 and 2025 to the Florida Panthers.

Loewen’s post did not state whether she’d back another team. She ended her post by saying she was still “Mama Stanley.”

“Mama Stanley belongs to ME — not the Edmonton Oilers organization,” she said.

“She represents BELIEVE, kindness, children, survivors and community. I will not abandon her or EVER compromise her values.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 9, 2026.