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EDMONTON – The Edmonton Oilers’ announcement to sign a former Team Canada junior player who was acquitted of sexual assault charges last year is a major check-in for one of its biggest fans.
Mary Loewen — known among Oilers fans as “Mama Stanley” for dressing as a sequined Stanley Cup during the playoffs — took to social media to say she no longer supports the team.
“I am extremely disappointed with the Edmonton Oilers’ decision to sign Alex Formenton,” Loewen’s post on Wednesday said.
“Even though he was acquitted in court, I cannot ignore my conscience or what this decision means to me.”
Loewen did not immediately respond to an interview request.
The NHL team announced Wednesday morning that it had signed Formenton to a one-year contract worth $850,000. He is one of five players on Canada’s 2018 world junior team accused of sexual assault.
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The charges stem from an encounter he had with a woman after a Hockey Canada party in London, Ontario. The NHL later reinstated all five players after the charges were dropped.
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After signing, Formenton said he was grateful to be joining the team after what he called a “tough 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 a Mama Stanley persona and became a regular at Oilers games, with other team fanatics posing for photos with her.
Some of his fans live in Germany and Australia.
Loewen’s post on Wednesday said his decision to no longer support the Oilers was not related to the team’s drafted players, but rather to management’s decision to draft Formenton.
He said he felt betrayed and that he lost the team he had supported almost his entire life.
“As a survivor of sexual harassment, I must maintain my morals and support the woman at the center of this case,” he said.
“Therefore, as long as Formenton remains an Oiler, I CANNOT AND WILL NOT support or cheer for this team.”
The Oilers were eliminated from the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs last season after losing 5-2 in Game 6 to the Anaheim Ducks. The team lost in the finals in 2024 and 2025 to the Florida Panthers.
Loewen’s post did not state whether he would support other teams. She ended her post by saying that she is still “Mama Stanley.”
“Mama Stanley belongs to ME – not the Edmonton Oilers organization,” he said.
“He represents FAITH, kindness, children, survivors and community. I will not abandon him or EVER compromise his values.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 9, 2026.
© 2026 Canadian Press
