Afternoon Notes: Formenton, Merkulov, Penguins
The Ottawa Senators have until Monday to re-sign or trade former winger Alex Formenton. If they wait beyond then, Formenton will become an unrestricted free agent. A few days out, it appears that will be exactly what happens, per Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Citizen. Formenton was one of five players accused in the high-profile sexual assault trial that reached a verdict earlier this year. Formenton briefly retired from professional hockey to work in construction full-time during 2024 and 2025, while awaiting his trial date.
He returned to hockey this season, re-signing with Ambri-Piotta of Switzerland’s National League, where he spent the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons. Formenton has nine points and a minus-10 in 20 games this season. That mark is far below the 29 points he posted in 46 games in his prior two seasons in Switzerland.
Ottawa will lose Formenton’s rights in the coming days with this update. He will continue to find his footing in Switzerland’s top league, and seems far away from any hope of returning to an NHL contract.
Other notes from around the league:
- The Boston Bruins have reassigned Georgii Merkulov to the AHL’s Providence Bruins per Ty Anderson of Boston’s 98.5 The Sports Hub. He did not appear in the NHL lineup on his latest call-up, which only lasted a few days. Merkulov did play one NHL game earlier this season and posted no scoring and a minus-one. He has been a far larger presence in the minor leagues, where he’s scored 14 points in 17 games. The AHL Bruins are in the midst of a three-game win-streak, during which they’ve outscored opponents 17-8. Now, they’ll get a major piece of their offense back from the NHL club ahead of three games this week.
- The Pittsburgh Penguins could soon be forced to lean on their young rookies per Josh Yohe of The Athletic. Yohe points out the struggles of Pittsburgh’s bottom-six forwards, including Joona Koppanen, who has just one assist in 10 games this season. Pittsburgh could be much better off relying on prospects Rutger McGroarty and Tristan Broz, who have looked sharp for the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. McGroarty leads the team in points-per-game with seven points in five games. Broz has 13 points in 18 games of his own, good for third on the team in total scoring. Now, they could be asked to bring their high-skill offense to a Penguins squad that’s struggled to score with their superstars off of the ice. McGroarty recorded three points in his first eight NHL games last season, while Broz went scoreless in his NHL debut last week.
Senators Notes: Chabot, Formenton, Guenette
After sustaining an upper-body injury in Tuesday’s game against Dallas, it appears that Senators defenseman Thomas Chabot will miss at least one more contest. Sportsnet’s Alex Adams relays (Twitter link) that it’s unlikely that the veteran will suit up on Thursday against Boston; head coach Travis Green indicated that Chabot is still being evaluated and the severity of the injury is not yet known. While his playing time is down a bit this season, the 28-year-old has still played a big role on Ottawa’s back end in the early going, picking up 10 points in 17 games while logging nearly 22 minutes a night of action. Assuming that Chabot is ultimately scratched, Nicolas Matinpalo will likely take his place in the lineup.
More from Ottawa:
- The Senators have received inquiries about RFA winger Alex Formenton but interest has been limited thus far, reports Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch. The 26-year-old last played in the NHL in 2021-22 and is currently in his third season with Ambri-Piotta in Switzerland where he has three goals and two assists in 13 games. Formenton will be eligible to return to the NHL as of December 1st following the expiration of his suspension which is also the same day that he will have to be signed to be eligible to play this season as he’s an RFA unlike the other players involved in the sexual assault trial that concluded back in July. It’s possible that the Sens could renounce his rights before then to make him eligible to sign later in the season but they would require special permission from the league to do so.
- Also from Garrioch’s piece, GM Steve Staios is hoping that there will be a resolution soon when it comes to RFA defenseman Max Guenette. The 24-year-old declined Ottawa’s efforts to re-sign him this summer, instead asking for a trade after Lassi Thomson was brought back. However, no trade has materialized yet, meaning the December 1st deadline also applies to Guenette. Garrioch suggests that the Senators are hoping for a draft pick in return but teams are also asking for Ottawa to take a contract back. Even though the Sens have seven open contract slots per PuckPedia, that doesn’t appear to be something they’re willing to do at the moment.
Senators Hoping To Move Alex Formenton
After his inclusion in the Hockey Canada sexual assault trial for the past two years, the Ottawa Senators are looking to move on from RFA forward Alex Formenton. During today’s media availability, TSN’s Bruce Garrioch offered a note from Senators General Manager Steve Staios, saying that “both sides agree that it would be best for a fresh start.”
As PuckPedia notes, since Formenton is a qualified RFA, Ottawa can only trade him or wait for him to become eligible for unrestricted free agency. There’s no mechanism for a team to release a qualified RFA, unless the NHL is willing to make an exception for this circumstance. The other four players involved in the trial were not qualified by their respective clubs, making them all UFAs.
Given the high-profile nature of the case, it’s difficult to say whether or not another team would have interest in acquiring Formenton via trade. Carter Hart, who was also involved in the trial, has reportedly garnered interest from several teams since the NHL announced that they’d be free to sign new contracts on October 15th.
Still, even outside of that variable, it’s been several years since Formenton has played professionally in North America. His last season with the Senators was 2021-22, during which he recorded 18 goals and 32 points in 79 games, finishing with a -13 rating.
Since then, he’s been playing with the NL’s HC Ambrì-Piotta, scoring 20 goals and nine assists in 48 games. Formenton appears to have kept his knack for putting pucks in the net, but Ottawa shouldn’t have any expectation of receiving a quality return for their former second-round pick.
Carter Hart, Others Found Not Guilty In Hockey Canada Sexual Assault Trial
Sept. 11th: According to an update from Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the NHL and NHLPA have agreed that the five players will be suspended until December 1, 2025. However, they will be permitted to sign with any team on October 15th. Friedman clarified that the Commissioner Gary Bettman did not have a formal hearing with any of the players, as all five reportedly waived their right to appeal the Commissioner’s decision.
Jul. 25th: As expected, the five players will not be immediately accepted back into the NHL despite yesterday’s verdict. According to a public announcement, the league released a statement, saying, “The allegations made in this case, even if not determined to have been criminal, were very disturbing and the behavior at issue was unacceptable. We will be reviewing and considering the judge’s findings. While we conduct that analysis and determine next steps, the players charged in this case are ineligible to play in the League.”
Jul. 24th: Carter Hart, the first of five players charged in connection with an alleged sexual assault involving the 2018 Canadian men’s national junior team to hear his verdict, has been found not guilty by Justice Maria Carroccia in London, Ontario, according to reporting from The Athletic. Dillon Dube, Callan Foote and Alex Formenton have also been found not guilty of sexual assault. The fifth player charged, Michael McLeod, has received the same verdict. He was the only player charged with two counts – one of sexual assault and one of being a party to the offense.
The allegations against Dube, Foote, Formenton, Hart, and McLeod first became public in May of 2022, when reports emerged that Hockey Canada had paid to settle a lawsuit with a woman, known in court documents as E.M., who said she was sexually assaulted by eight players “over several hours” in a London hotel room on July 18, 2018. No charges were levied as a result of the initial investigation by local police, which was closed in February 2019, but the case was reopened after the 2022 report.
Formal charges were then brought against the five defendants on Jan. 30, 2024. The trial began on April 22, 2025, and the verdicts were reached solely by Justice Carroccia after two mistrials influenced her to dismiss the jury.
The NHL does not have a formal policy for players accused of or charged with domestic violence, sexual assault, or similar crimes. Instead, the four players who were under NHL contracts at the time – Dube, Foote, Hart, and McLeod – were granted indefinite leaves of absence by their clubs shortly before the charges were announced. All of them were pending restricted free agents on expiring contracts and were not extended qualifying offers, making them unrestricted free agents as of July 1, 2024.
Today’s not guilty verdict indicates the Canadian prosecutorial team “failed to meet its onus on any of the counts before me,” Justice Carroccia said today. She did not find reasonable doubt that any of the players’ contact with E.M. was non-consensual, which was the main point of contention in the trial that could have led to a guilty verdict.
When asked about the playing eligibility of the defendants, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has continually deferred action until after a verdict was reached. While none of the players are formally suspended by the league, similar situations have routinely required some sort of permission from league offices for them to play in or return to the NHL. If teams approach any of them with a contract offer, they will presumably wait for that guidance before registering the deal.
Snapshots: Formenton, Kostin, NCAA
After being found not guilty of sexual assault earlier this summer, Alex Formenton has decided to resume his playing career. While he and the others who were on trial remain ineligible to play in the NHL at this time pending review and consideration of the judge’s findings in the case, Formenton is once again heading overseas as Ambri-Piotta in Switzerland announced that they’ve signed the winger to a three-month contract with a team option to convert it to a full-season deal. Formenton spent two seasons with them in 2022-23 and 2023-24, collecting 20 goals and nine assists in 46 games before leaving the team once charges were laid.
Elsewhere around the hockey world:
- Veteran winger Klim Kostin is still looking to secure a contract for the upcoming season. He told Alexey Shevchenko of Sport-Express that his desire is to return to Edmonton, where he spent the 2022-23 campaign. He notched 11 goals and 10 assists in 57 games that season, both career bests; he managed just 21 points in the last two years combined between Detroit and San Jose. With the Oilers having limited cap flexibility, he’d likely have to settle for a PTO deal and then try to force his way into a roster spot from there.
- The change to allow CHL players to become NCAA-eligible has made waves across the hockey world this offseason. But there is another small wrinkle now in play, as Flames Nation’s Ryan Pike observes (Twitter link). In the past, NCAA-bound players were ineligible to take part in NHL rookie and training camps, even if they weren’t enrolled for the upcoming season. That is no longer the case. While players actively enrolled in college still won’t be eligible to participate, those committed to college hockey but only for next year will be able. Pike notes that Flames prospect Mace’o Phillips is poised to benefit from the change; he’ll play with USHL Green Bay this season but is committed to the University of Minnesota for 2026-27. Because of that, he’s eligible to take part in training camp with Calgary this month.
Five Players Facing Charges Connected To 2018 Sexual Assault Investigation
5:50 p.m.: Attorneys representing Foote have confirmed that the London Police Service has charged him with sexual assault, per Westhead. Claiming innocence in the statement, Foote’s attorneys did not confirm what plea he would enter.
4:50 p.m.: Attorneys representing Hart have confirmed that the London Police Service has charged him with sexual assault, per TSN’s Chris Johnston. Claiming innocence in the statement, Hart’s attorneys did not confirm what plea he would enter.
4:45 p.m.: Attorneys representing Dube have confirmed that the London Police Service has charged him with sexual assault, per Westhead. Dube will enter a not-guilty plea before the court.
3:14 p.m.: Attorneys representing McLeod have confirmed that the London Police Service has charged him with sexual assault, per Westhead. McLeod will enter a not-guilty plea before the court.
2:41 p.m.: Five players whose rights are owned by NHL teams are facing charges stemming from a London, Ontario police investigation into an alleged 2018 sexual assault involving members of the Canadian men’s national junior team, TSN’s Rick Westhead reports Tuesday. Per Westhead, Flyers goaltender Carter Hart, Devils center Michael McLeod, Devils defenseman Cal Foote, and Flames winger Dillon Dubé have been directed to surrender to London police.
Senators forward prospect Alex Formenton, who has not been under contract with the team since 2022, is the fifth player facing charges and surrendered himself to London police Sunday, according to his attorneys.
Robyn Doolittle of The Globe and Mail first reported last week that five players had been told to surrender to police to face charges connected to the 2018 incident. Neither the NHL nor the Flyers, Devils, Flames, or Senators have released statements on the matter.
As Ian Mendes and Chris Johnston of The Athletic outlined Tuesday, discipline for players involved in off-ice misconduct falls under the jurisdiction and discretion of league commissioner Gary Bettman. If league action is taken against any of the five players named, they have the right to file an appeal with an independent arbitrator.
It is unclear whether the Flyers, Devils and Flames have the jurisdiction to terminate the standard player’s contracts of Hart, McLeod, Foote, and Dubé, given the definition of a material breach of the contract is not expressly defined.
All four players remain on indefinite leaves of absence from their respective teams. Formenton is on an indefinite leave of absence from HC Ambrì-Piotta in the Swiss National League, where he’s contracted for the 2023-24 season.
The London Police Service is expected to hold a press conference next Monday to comment further on the charges. Attorneys for Hart, McLeod, Foote, and Dubé did not respond to or declined requests for comment from Westhead.
Snapshots: Studnicka, Formenton, Lundell
The Vancouver Canucks have used an emergency recall on forward Jack Studnicka. The team played down a forward in their season opener against the Edmonton Oilers, making them eligible to bring up Studnicka without a cap hit. Studnicka will be exempt from waivers if he plays in fewer than 10 games, or is on the roster for fewer than 30 days.
Studnicka appeared in 47 games with Vancouver last season after the team acquired him via trade, sending Michael DiPietro and Jonathan Myrenberg to the Boston Bruins. Studnicka recorded a mere eight points in those 47 games – setting career highs in both categories. The 24-year-old forward was a second-round draft pick in the 2017 NHL Draft and has yet to find consistent NHL playing time, spending most of his early career in either the AHL or an NHL press box. He did have a serviceable 35 points in 41 AHL games during the 2021-22 season, speaking hope to his scoring upside. He’s likely to slot into a Canucks lineup that is still missing Ilya Mikheyev, who is continuing to rehab an ACL injury suffered last season.
Other notes from around the league:
- Former Ottawa Senators forward Alex Formenton has signed a contract with HC Ambrì-Piotta of the National League (NL), the top league in Switzerland. This deal carries through the end of the calendar year, with the option to extend it to last the whole season.
- Anton Lundell will be a game-time decision for the Florida Panthers’ season opener against the Minnesota Wild. Lundell missed one practice this week but made it back to the team’s Thursday skate. Head coach Paul Maurice also shared that Sam Bennett didn’t travel with the team for their three-game road trip, although Maurice shared it wouldn’t be long until he returns.
Alex Formenton Signs In Switzerland
No longer eligible to play in the NHL this season, Ottawa Senators restricted free agent Alex Formenton has signed a contract with HC Ambri-Piotta, the same club that yesterday added Nick Shore. The deal will only last through the 2022-23 season, and the team release included the following (translated by Google):
The HCAP knows that the player and some of his teammates from Canada’s U20 World Cup winners in 2018 were involved in a criminal investigation which resulted in a decree of abandonment. The investigation was recently reopened following revelations about the Canadian federation’s practice in similar cases.
The HCAP, after discussion with the player, who fully cooperated with all authorities during the investigations carried out by the London Police (Ontario, Canada), the NHL and the Canadian Hockey Federation, and his lawyers, believes that there is no any element not to assert the presumption of innocence against him. Should the new investigation by the Canadian police reveal elements that are currently unknown, the Club and the player have reserved the right to reevaluate their contractual relationship.
Formenton, 23, failed to reach a contract with the Senators before the December 1 deadline, making him ineligible for the rest of the year. The impasse followed a breakout season in which the young forward scored 18 goals and 32 points in 79 games, using his elite skating and long reach to create regular scoring chances for himself and his teammates.
The Senators have never commented on whether the re-opened investigation into an alleged 2018 sexual assault had anything to do with Formenton’s negotiations or lack thereof. Yesterday, Darren Dreger of TSN reported that the league’s investigation into the incident is nearly complete, but there is still an ongoing investigation by the London Police Service, and follow-up that needs to be completed between the NHL and NHLPA before anything is released.
He will remain a restricted free agent and on the Senators’ reserve list unless they choose to leave him unqualified this summer.
Alex Formenton Ineligible For Rest Of Season
The NHL’s deadline for clubs to sign restricted free agents to contracts that would allow them to play in the 2022-23 season has now passed. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet confirmed that there has been no contract signed, meaning Ottawa Senators forward Alex Formenton is now ineligible to play in the rest of this NHL season.
Per Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch, the Senators have been trying to find a trade for Formenton but were unable to finalize a deal before this deadline passed. Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff reported that the Senators’ asking price for Formenton was a second-round pick, and it appears that no team was willing to meet that asking price in order to acquire Formenton before the 4PM CDT deadline.
On paper, Formenton’s restricted free agency once seemed straightforward. After scoring 18 goals and 32 points last year, the speedy 23-year-old forward looked set to either earn a moderate bridge contract or perhaps even be a candidate for a long-term extension.
But Formenton’s status has become unclear due to potentially significant off-ice complications.
Speculation has continued to surface regarding Formenton’s role in the Hockey Canada World Junior 2018 sexual assault investigation, for which he is one of few players to not release a statement denying involvement.
While TSN’s Darren Dreger has reported that the NHL’s investigation is “substantially complete,” the league did not release its findings before today’s deadline, which may have contributed to the Formenton’s uncertain current status.
With the deadline now passed, it seems that Formenton’s only choice regarding his NHL future is to wait until there is more certainty in the matters that NHL clubs are reportedly concerned about. In the meantime, the Senators will retain Formenton’s rights as a restricted free agent.
Evening Notes: Hedman, Letang, Formenton
The Tampa Bay Lightning are down a big man – literally and figuratively – as they take on Ottawa tonight. Defenseman Victor Hedman has an upper-body injury and is day-to-day, according to Lightning play-by-play commentator Dave Randorf. Hedman sustained the injury in a win Saturday against San Jose, leaving in the third period.
Hedman is vying for a seventh straight Norris Trophy nomination this season, and one of the best defensemen of his generation is off to a strong start again. His eight points in nine games are tied for third on the team with Brayden Point, and his 24:48 ice time average per game clears second place (Mikhail Sergachev) by an even two minutes. The Lightning have a tough schedule over the next few games, including games against Carolina and Edmonton, so a quick return from Hedman would be highly desirable.
- Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang is out for tonight’s game against Boston with an illness, as he didn’t skate in warmups. Chad Ruhwedel will draw in on the bottom pairing, while Jeff Petry will slide up alongside Brian Dumoulin in Letang’s absence. The 35-year-old, who signed a six-year extension with the team last offseason, is off to a slow start with four points in nine games and a -5 rating.
- TSN’s Darren Dreger reported on today’s edition of Insider Trading that there are no real updates between the Ottawa Senators and forward Alex Formenton, who remains the only unsigned RFA in the league. The two parties now have just one month before the December 1 signing deadline, where Formenton cannot play in the NHL season if he doesn’t have a contract. Dreger notes a potential trade as an option for Formenton, and also floats the option of playing in Europe if a deal can’t be reached.