Alex Formenton sues former agent for $20,500,000 alleging "bad faith and high-handed conduct": Report

By Ankit Kumar

Modified Nov 01, 2024 18:48 GMT

Alex Formenton filed a $20.5 million lawsuit against Newport Sports Management Inc. and his former agent, Wade Arnott. He claims negligence, breach of contract, and breach of fiduciary duty.

Formenton, 25, alleges he lost income for the 2022-23 and 2023-24 NHL seasons due to the actions of Arnott and Newport. He seeks $20 million in damages and an additional $500,000 for punitive damages, citing "bad faith and high-handed conduct," according to TSN.

Alex Formenton was drafted by the Ottawa Senators in 2017. He signed with Newport at that time. His player-agent agreement ended on July 12, 2022. After this, he claims he did not receive the right advice on how to proceed with his career.

The Senators offered Formenton a qualifying offer of $787,500 in July 2022, which he rejected. The lawsuit states that Arnott did not inform him that accepting the offer would allow him to negotiate a new contract later. Because of this, Formenton did not secure a new deal and became ineligible to play in the NHL during the 2022–23 season.

Formenton later signed a contract with Ambri-Piotta, a team in Switzerland. He claims Arnott did not explain how playing in Europe could affect his chances in the NHL. In January 2024, he took a leave from the Swiss team and ended his relationship with Arnott and Newport.

In addition to his lawsuit, Alex Formenton faces legal issues in a sexual assault related to an incident from June 2018. Formenton is now living in Barrie, Ontario. He works in construction and is learning to operate heavy machinery.

Alex Formenton's involvement in the Hockey Canada Scandal

The Hockey Canada sexual assault scandal involves serious claims against five players from the 2018 World Junior team. In June 2018, a woman accused these players of sexually assaulting her after a night out in London, Ontario.

After a party at a bar, she returned to a hotel room with one player. She claimed other players joined and assaulted her. An investigation by London police and Hockey Canada did not lead to charges in 2019.

In May 2022, the woman filed a $3.5 million lawsuit against Hockey Canada. This lawsuit was settled quietly before becoming public knowledge. The police reopened their investigation following the settlement.

In January 2024, five players were charged with sexual assault. They include Alex Formenton, Dillon Dubé, Carter Hart, Michael McLeod, and Cal Foote. All five players deny the claims and plan to plead not guilty.

Their trial is set for September 2025. The scandal has raised many questions about how Hockey Canada handled the situation.