Alex Formenton (25 years old) is once again making headlines in the media around the world, particularly in North America. The Canadian hockey player, awaiting his trial for the sexual assault of a young woman in 2018, has decided to sue the agency Newport Sports Management Inc. as well as his former agent Wade Arnott for negligence, breach of contract and breach of fiduciary duty.
The former Ambri player, between 2022 and 2024, notably criticized his former agent for “failing to provide him with public relations support”, reveals The Athletic. The one who wore the biancoblù jersey 53 times (40 points) and won the Spengler Cup in December 2022 is demanding more than 20.5 million dollars from his former representatives.
This amount would represent, according to the former Ottawa Senators forward, lost wages over the last two seasons as well as a loss of future income due to the bad advice provided by the specialized agency, and more particularly by Wade Arnott.
Alex Formenton also believes that he did not benefit from the “standards expected of a professional agent” and that he received neglected services and advice. For the moment, neither the Newport Sports Management Inc. agency (which represents several NHL stars) nor Wade Arnott have commented on the matter.
The winger, originally from Barrie, Ontario, joined Newport Sports Management Inc. in 2017, when he was 17 years old. Wade Arnott was named as one of the player’s three guarantors.
Five years later, in May 2022, allegations of sexual assault against five members of the Canadian junior team were made public. The players in question allegedly raped a young woman in a hotel room in London, Ontario, on the sidelines of a gala organized by Hockey Canada. This aimed in particular to celebrate the world title won in 2018 by the maple leaf selection.
It was only in January 2024 that Alex Formenton, then under contract with Ambri, was officially accused of the facts, along with four other players: Michael McLeod, Cal Foote (both New Jersey Devils), Carter Hart (Philadelphia Flyers) and Dillon Dube (Calgary Flames).
The 25-year-old striker then immediately left the Ticino team to return to Canada, where he withdrew from the world of hockey for that of construction. That same month, he ended his relationship with Newport Sports Management Inc. and Wade Arnott.
The sexual assault trial of Alex Formenton and the four other co-defendants is expected to begin in September 2025.
