Alex Formenton Sues Former Agent for $20 Million

Former Ottawa Senators forward Alex Formenton, who hasn't played in the NHL since 2022 and is awaiting trial on sexual assault charges, has sued his former agent for $20.5 million on negligence and breach of contract charges.

Former Senators forward Alex Formenton, one of five one-time NHL players charged by police in London with sexual assault, has filed a $20.5M lawsuit against player agency Newport Sports and Wade Arnott, his former agent, alleging negligence, breach of contract, and breach of… https://t.co/UxICUd7606
— Rick Westhead (@rwesthead) November 1, 2024

As reported by TSN's Rick Westhead, Formenton alleges that he suffered income loss covering the 2022-23 and 2023-24 NHL seasons, plus future income arising from potential lost time in the NHL. He'd been playing in Switzerland the past two seasons until he was charged by London, Ontario police over a 2018 incident.

Formenton is one of five former NHL players charged with sexual assault after the alleged incident in 2018 at a Hockey Canada event at the World Juniors.

The 25-year-old is suing for $20 million in damages from his former agent Wade Arnott and the Newport Sports agency, along with another $500,000 in punitive damages because of the agency's “bad faith and high-handed conduct.”

Formenton broke through with the Senators in 2021-22, scoring 18 goals with 32 points in 79 games, while also notching five shorthanded goals which was tied for most in the NHL. But he was not able to secure a contract from the Sens that summer or in the following months.

The lawsuit claims that Wade represented to Formenton that he would be getting another offer from Ottawa, though none came. “As his agent, Wade and Newport Sports owed Alex a duty of care. At all material times, they were negligent in exercising their duties as agent to Alex and did not meet the required standard of care expected of a professional agent. Alex pleads that the services and counsel provided by Wade and Newport Sports were done negligently, carelessly and unskillfully…”

Formenton, along with four other former NHLers who were also members of Canada's 2018 World Juniors team, Dillon Dubé, Carter Hart, Michael McLeod, and Cal Foote will all have their cases heard in court over the sexual assault charges sometime in 2025.