Protesters gather in Edmonton before Oilers game

EDMONTON – Dozens of protesters chanted “no means no” and “drunk isn’t consent” outside Rogers Place arena ahead of the Edmonton Oilers’ first home game on Saturday, which featured the team’s controversial new forward Alex Formenton.

Protesters held signs with messages such as “Believe Survivors” as fans streamed in, renewing calls for the Oilers to reverse their Sept. 9 signing of Formenton.

He is one of five former members of Canada’s world junior team who were acquitted last year of sexual assault charges stemming from an encounter with a woman in a hotel room after a Hockey Canada gala in London, Ont., in 2018.

Jaclyn Prouse took part in Saturday’s demonstration. She said the case shone a light on the dark side of Canada’s hockey culture and for the first time she would not be supporting her hometown team because of Formenton.

“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.

Oilers superfan Mary Loewen, known as “Mama Stanley,” whose petition against Formenton has garnered nearly 70,000 signatures, said sexual assault survivors and women in general feel ignored and betrayed by the team.

“I am Mama Stanley but before anything else, I am a survivor,” she said Saturday, dressed in her signature silvery makeup and attire to mimic the Stanley Cup, complete with a tinsel wig and cup-like crown on her head.

“Fans have pleaded with the Edmonton Oilers to listen and this organization has chosen to move forward as though our voices do not matter.”

Prosecutors had argued during the players’ trial that the woman in the London, Ont., hotel room did not voluntarily consent to the sexual activity that took place, and the players did not take reasonable steps to confirm whether she consented.

Lesley Mutschke, another protester, said she shed tears when she heard the team she had supported most of her life signed Formenton.

Edmonton general manager Stan Bowman has said he respects that everyone is entitled to their opinion, but the Oilers did their due diligence before signing Formenton to a one-year, US$850,000 contract.

“I’ve had a lot of conversations with Alex,” Bowman said on Wednesday. “He’s grown a lot in the intervening years from where he was then to where he is now. He’s shown that growth.”

Loewen’s isn’t the only petition related to Formenton. Another aimed at showing support for the Oilers and its forward has received more than 2,500 signatures.

“The presumption of innocence is one of the foundations of the Canadian justice system. It exists precisely because accusations can permanently affect a person’s reputation, livelihood and future long before guilt has ever been established,” it said.