Alex Formenton
Formenton with the Belleville Senators in 2020
Born (1999-09-13) September 13, 1999
King, Ontario, Canada
Height 6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight 165 lb (75 kg; 11 st 11 lb)
Position Left wing
Shoots Left
NL team
Former teams		 HC Ambrì-Piotta
Ottawa Senators
NHL Draft 47th overall, 2017
Ottawa Senators
Playing career 2017–present

Alex Formenton (born September 13, 1999) is a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger currently playing for HC Ambrì-Piotta of the National League (NL) with his NHL rights being held by the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected in the second round, 47th overall, by the Senators in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft.[1]

Playing career

Formenton was drafted by the major junior London Knights in the 2015 Ontario Hockey League Priority Draft in the eleventh round, 216th overall.[2][3] In 2016, Formenton formally joined the Knights and recorded 16 goals and 34 points in 65 games. On the basis of that season, the Ottawa Senators selected him in the second round of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, 47th overall.[4]

Formenton was invited to the Ottawa Senators main training camp after attending its development camp in the summer of 2017.[5] At the end of training camp, Ottawa retained him on its NHL roster to open the 2017–18 season and signed him to a three-year entry-level contract.[6] Formenton made his NHL debut on October 7, 2017, becoming the youngest player to play a game for the contemporary Ottawa Senators.[7] He was a healthy scratch after that game, and on October 15, he was returned by the Senators to continue his development with the London Knights.[8] After the 2017–18 OHL season, Formenton was reassigned to the Belleville Senators, the Senators American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate.[9]

Formenton earned a spot on the Senators' 2018–19 roster. On October 30, Formenton scored his first career NHL goal against Arizona Coyotes' goaltender Antti Raanta in a 5–1 loss.[10] After nine games with the club, Formenton was assigned to the Knights.[11]

After making the Senators out of training camp for two straight seasons, but failing to stick with the team, for the 2019–20 season, Formenton was assigned to Belleville to help round out his game. Before the season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Formenton scored 27 goals and 53 points in 61 games with Belleville.[4] He was named to the AHL's All-Rookie Team alongside teammate Josh Norris.[12]

Formenton played with Ottawa for the 2021–22 season, establishing himself as a solid penalty killer.[13] In November, Formenton contracted COVID-19 and was placed in the NHL's COVID-19 protocol.[14] He finished the season with 18 goals and 32 points in 79 games.[15]

After his contract expired after the 2021–22 season, the Senators and Formenton could not agree to terms on a new contract. Remaining un-signed and later becoming ineligible to appear in the 2022–23 NHL season, Formenton belatedly signed abroad for the remainder of the season with Swiss club, HC Ambrì-Piotta of the National League (NL), on December 14, 2022.[15] HC Ambrì-Piotta later issued a statement saying that their contract with Formenton would be re-evaluated at a later date should a sexual assault investigation relating to the 2018 Canadian world junior team, of which Formenton was a member, reveal wrongdoing by the player. While Senators' then-General Manager Pierre Dorion would not clarify whether Formenton's contract status with the organization was related to that investigation,[16] some in the media stated that the investigation into Formenton's involvement was indeed behind his contract stalemate.[17] It was also noted in the media that it is "ultra-rare" for an NHL team to allow a top prospect like Formenton to go unsigned and lose an entire season.[18] Heading into the 2023 NHL Entry Draft it was anticipated that the Senators would trade Formenton's rights in order to free up a spot on the club’s reserve list, but Dorion was unable to find a trading partner.[19]

Formenton experienced a career highlight in the 2022 Spengler Cup tournament, scoring a tournament high six points in four games and helping propel HC Ambri-Piotta to a historic Spengler Cup victory. In defeating Sparta Prague by a 3–2 score, Ambri became only the fourth Swiss team to win the cup in its 99-year history.[20]

International play

Formenton, along with teammate Robert Thomas, was selected to represent Canada at the 2018 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships,[21] where he helped them win a gold medal.[22]

Personal life

Formenton was born in Barrie, Ontario, on September 13, 1999. His parents have one other son, who attends Cornell University. Formenton's early years were spent in Aurora, Ontario, where he attended and graduated from high school. His love of hockey and his playmaking skills at left wing rapidly rocketed him up the ranks of players in his age group. As a young adolescent, Formenton's family cared for two brothers with autism and Down Syndrome. Formenton's relationship with the young men engendered in him a special sensitivity to people living with mental challenges. This orientation was further cemented when, during his time playing for the London Knights, he billeted with a family that included two daughters, one of whom had a mental disability. The close bond she formed with Formenton continues to this day, and kindled in him a resolve to engage in charity work for mentally challenged individuals.[20]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2014–15 Mississauga Rebels GTMMHL 65 27 28 55 92 — — — — —
2015–16 Aurora Tigers OJHL 54 13 13 26 66 5 2 0 2 0
2016–17 London Knights OHL 65 16 18 34 50 14 0 0 0 6
2017–18 Ottawa Senators NHL 1 0 0 0 0 — — — — —
2017–18 London Knights OHL 48 29 19 48 55 4 5 2 7 6
2017–18 Belleville Senators AHL 2 0 0 0 2 — — — — —
2018–19 Ottawa Senators NHL 9 1 0 1 6 — — — — —
2018–19 London Knights OHL 31 13 21 34 50 11 4 14 18 14
2019–20 Belleville Senators AHL 61 27 26 53 65 — — — — —
2020–21 Belleville Senators AHL 13 4 0 4 22 — — — — —
2020–21 Ottawa Senators NHL 20 4 2 6 6 — — — — —
2021–22 Ottawa Senators NHL 79 18 14 32 59 — — — — —
2022–23 HC Ambrì-Piotta NL 22 10 3 13 74 — — — — —
NHL totals 10923163971 —————

International

Year Team Event Result GP G A Pts PIM
2018 Canada WJC 1st place, gold medalist(s) 7 2 2 4 8
Junior totals 7 2 2 4 8

Awards and honors

Awards Year
CHL Top Prospects Game 2017
AHL All-Star Game 2020 [23]
Spengler Cup winner 2022

References

  1. ↑ "Alex Formenton selected 47th overall by Ottawa". Ontario Hockey League. June 28, 2017. Retrieved June 28, 2017.
  2. ↑ "Knights Introduce 2015 OHL Priority Selections". London Knights. April 14, 2015. Retrieved April 20, 2018.
  3. ↑ Stubbs, Mike (June 24, 2017). "Alex Formenton of the Knights lands in Ottawa". Global News. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
  4. 1 2 Garrioch, Bruce (May 14, 2020). "Prospect Watch: Alex Formenton has made strides on the road to the NHL". Ottawa Sun. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
  5. ↑ Garrioch, Bruce (June 26, 2017). "Development camp lets Senators see prospects up close". Ottawa Sun. Retrieved April 20, 2018.
  6. ↑ Stubbs, Mike (October 3, 2017). "Alex Formenton is making something rare, very real". Global News. Retrieved October 15, 2017.
  7. ↑ Warren, Ken (October 6, 2017). "Senators' Alex Formenton sprints into NHL with assists from ex-Leafs". Ottawa Citizen. Retrieved October 15, 2017.
  8. ↑ Sens Communications [@Media_Sens] (October 15, 2017). "The #Sens have reassigned Thomas Chabot to @BellevilleSens and have returned Alex Formenton to London (OHL)" (Tweet). Retrieved February 23, 2023 – via Twitter.
  9. ↑ "Alex Formenton Reassigned to Belleville Senators". London Knights. April 3, 2018. Retrieved April 20, 2018.
  10. ↑ Warren, Ken (October 31, 2018). "Formenton scores, but does he stay around for the season?". Ottawa Sun. Retrieved October 31, 2018.
  11. ↑ Brennan, Dan (November 2, 2018). "Senators rookie Formenton returned to OHL's London Knights after playing his ninth game". Ottawa Sun. Retrieved November 2, 2018.
  12. ↑ Garrioch, Bruce (May 20, 2020). "Senators' top prospects Josh Norris, Drake Batherson and Alex Formenton score AHL honours". Financial Post. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
  13. ↑ "Senators have promising young core, but head into off-season with work to do". Medicine Hat Chatnewstoday. The Canadian Press. April 30, 2022. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
  14. ↑ Garrioch, Bruce (December 9, 2021). "Snapshots: The effects of COVID-19 behind him, Alex Formenton has his speed back". Ottawa Sun. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
  15. 1 2 "Sens RFA Formenton signs one-year deal in Switzerland". TSN. December 14, 2022. Retrieved December 14, 2022.
  16. ↑ "Senators RFA Alex Formenton signs one-year contract with Swiss team". Sportsnet. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
  17. ↑ "Rumor: Serious allegations against Alex Formenton in Hockey Canada scandal". Hockeyfeed. No. 26 October 2022. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
  18. ↑ "Player from 2018 world junior team in ultra-rare NHL contract bind". The London Free Press. December 2, 2022. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
  19. ↑ Garrioch, Bruce. "Garrioch: There's a lot of moving parts as Ottawa Senators prepare for draft". Ottawa Sun. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
  20. 1 2 "Exclusive Interview with Ambri Player Alex Formenton". Suisse Puck News. December 7, 2023. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
  21. ↑ "Canadian Roster Set for 2018 IIHF World Junior Championship". hockeycanada.ca. December 16, 2017. Retrieved April 30, 2018.
  22. ↑ Courtepatte, Jake (January 10, 2018). "Formenton, Mete golden at World Juniors". King Weekly Sentinel. Retrieved April 30, 2018.
  23. ↑ "Bracco, Liljegren added to All-Star roster". American Hockey League. January 26, 2020. Retrieved February 1, 2020.
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