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Oilers superfan ‘Mama Stanley’ says she won’t support team after Formenton signing

Photo credit: X.com/dfoedmonton

By Zach Laing

Sep 9, 2026, 23:00 EDTUpdated: Sep 10, 2026, 00:07 EDT

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The Edmonton Oilers’ controversial signing of Alex Formenton has cost them a superfan.

Mary Loewen, better known as “Mama Stanley” for her silver outfit resembling the Stanley Cup, shared on Instagram Wednesday night that she would no longer be supporting the team.

“Although he was acquitted in court, I cannot ignore my conscience or what this decision represents to me,” Loewen wrote. “As a sexual assault survivor, I must stand by my morals and stand with the woman at the centre of this case.

“For that reason, as long as Formenton remains an Oiler, I CANNOT AND WILL NOT support or cheer for this team.”

Loewen, who became a local celebrity during the Oilers’ 2024 Stanley Cup run, was first seen sitting behind the Oilers’ bench, before becoming a staple at watch parties in Edmonton’s Moss Pit. Front and centre, with two sequin blazers, long skating gloves, a hat that looks like the Cup, and 200 bobby pins holding it all together, she rode the highs and lows the team has faced in their recent playoff runs.

“This isn’t about the players who have been there—I will always love my boys,” Loewen continued. “This is about the organization’s decision to bring in this one player. I just cannot support that decision!

“I’ve cried in waves because I feel betrayed by an organization I have proudly loved and represented for years… I am still Mama Stanley. Mama Stanley belongs to ME—not the Edmonton Oilers organization. She represents BELIEVE, kindness, children, survivors and community. I will not abandon her or EVER compromise her values.”

Formenton was one of five hockey players charged and later acquitted after being tried in 2024 on sexual assault charges stemming from an incident that followed a 2018 Hockey Canada event. The 26-year-old will earn $850,000 on a one-year contract signed with the Oilers Wednesday. He’s spent three of the last four years playing in Switzerland’s National League, scoring 52 points in 88 games.

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Here’s her post in full:

“With a VERY, VERY BROKEN HEART, I am making an announcement I never imagined I would have to make.
I am deeply disappointed by the Edmonton Oilers’ decision to sign Alex Formenton.
Although he was acquitted in court, I cannot ignore my conscience or what this decision represents to me.
As a sexual assault survivor, I must stand by my morals and stand with the woman at the centre of this case.
For that reason, as long as Formenton remains an Oiler, I CANNOT AND WILL NOT support or cheer for this team.
This isn’t about the players who have been there—I will always love my boys.
This is about the organization’s decision to bring in this one player. I just cannot support that decision!
I did not make this choice lightly or simply out of anger.
I’ve cried in waves because I feel betrayed by an organization I have proudly loved and represented for years.
Losing Game 7 two years ago meant losing a Stanley Cup; this feels like losing a team I have loved with my heart for most of my life.
CLEAR: I am still Mama Stanley. Mama Stanley belongs to ME—not the Edmonton Oilers organization.
She represents BELIEVE, kindness, children, survivors and community. I will not abandon her or EVER compromise her values.”

Zach Laing is Daily Faceoff Edmonton’s managing editor and The Nation Network’s news director. He can be followed on X at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach.laing@bettercollective.com.

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