Alex Formenton’s future is in the hands of the National Hockey League.
Found not guilty of sexual assault along with four other members of the 2018 Canadian world junior team in July in London, Ont., Formenton re-signed with HC Ambri-Piotta in the Swiss league on Saturday.
The Senators still hold Formenton’s NHL rights because they made him a qualifying offer when he became a free agent after the 2021-22 campaign.
He chose not to sign the qualifying offer before it expired and then the Senators tried to trade his rights, but there was no interest because of the investigation in London.
At this point, Formenton remains ineligible to play in the NHL because none of the players have been cleared to return by commissioner Gary Bettman.
Steve Staios, the Senators president of hockey operations and general manager, wasn’t willing to shed any light on whether the club would have any interest whatsoever in bringing the 25-year-old Formenton back.
“I have no comment on that,” Staios said before the club’s charity golf tournament on Monday at The Marshes. “It’s a league matter and the player is ineligible to play.”
Formenton was cleared in the high-profile trial along with Michael McLeod, Carter Hart, Cal Foote and Dillon Dube.
After the verdict, the league stated that none of the five players were eligible to return to the NHL until the league had looked at the judge’s findings in the case.
“We will be reviewing and considering the judge’s findings,” the NHL said in July. “While we conduct that analysis and determine next steps, the players charged in this case are ineligible to play in the league.”
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This is the second time that Formenton has opted to sign with Ambri-Piotta. He signed there in December 2022 after the Senators were unable to trade his rights and took a leave of absence during the 2023-24 season to return to North America to face the criminal charge.
Formenton only is signed until the Christmas break, which tells you that he is hopeful that he can show the Senators and other NHL teams that he deserves another opportunity to play in the league.
Selected in the second round of the 2017 NHL draft, Formenton has to be signed to an NHL contract by Dec. 1 if he wants to return to the league this season. The Senators could trade his rights if he’s given clearance by the league to return before then.
“I’m happy he signed in Switzerland and I wish him all the best,” Ottawa centre Tim Stutzle said.