Ottawa Senators Finally Make Decision On Alex Formenton's NHL Rights

Alex Formenton hasn't played for the Ottawa Senators since 2022, but his name has been in the news around the hockey world a significant amount in the past few years. He was one of the Hockey Canada Five who were acquitted last year in the World Junior Hockey Championship sexual assault case. 

Ottawa had retained his NHL rights all this time, but finally, after years of trying to trade his rights, the Senators have simply given up and cut ties with Formenton.

The Ottawa Senators have cut ties with Alex Formenton, making him a free agent available to sign with any team.

Ottawa has been trying to trade Formenton's rights for multiple years now.

Formenton was a part of the 2018 Canadian World Junior case. pic.twitter.com/FXVjWjHCW8

— PuckEmpire (@puckempire) June 18, 2026

League sources told the Ottawa Citizen on Thursday that the Senators have recently removed the winger from their free agent list, making him an unrestricted free agent. 

The 26-year-old has been playing in Switzerland the past few years. Will any National Hockey League team be interested in taking a chance at bringing him in? It's highly doubtful. 

The only one of those five players who has made their way back to the top league in the world is Carter Hart, who was the starter in goal for the Vegas Golden Knights right through their entire playoff run this spring to the Stanley Cup Finals. 

Formenton, a 6'3" forward, has 13 goals and 23 points in 42 games for Ambri-Piotta in the Swiss league. In his last season with Ottawa, in 2021-22, he had 18 goals and 42 points in 79 games.