Alex Formenton sues agent for $20 million

HockeyVirus

Woll stan.
Nov 15, 2020
20,192
31,003
Formenton, who is now 25, alleges that he suffered income loss for the 2022-23 and 2023-24 NHL seasons, plus future income arising from lost playing time in the NHL, because of Arnott and Newport’s misconduct.

“As his agent, Wade and Newport Sports owed Alex a duty of care,” Formenton’s lawsuit reads. “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…”

I guess he is saying, other players allegedly involved were able to play those years and he could have signed a long term deal worth 20M but his agent refused to do that work for him or couldn't get a deal and he is salty and knows his career is over.
 

Breakers

Make Mirrored Visors Legal Again
Aug 5, 2014
23,270
22,107
Denver Colorado
tough case

Agent will say I got you the deal and you turned it down
—-
Formention is saying you should have convinced me to take it?
 
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SirKillalot

Registered User
Feb 27, 2008
6,172
514
Norway
Strange lawsuit.
It says the agreement between player and agency ended 12th July 2022. So basically they adviced him legally for almost the first two weeks of Free agency. Then after having never signed a new deal, they still offered their services and he took them without being willing to sign a new agreement?

And some of his claims about not telling him implications of signing in Europe vs. future NHL career is common knowledge. At worst it can be that he in some way was strung along given that the agency might have gotten let's say reasonable positive feedbacks from the Senators but them wanting to wait to sign. I just don't see how this is on the agent/agency.

I'd say most listed is common knowledge and a player as well has to do his due diligence.
Also he was unofficially being represented for about 18 months after their agreement ended, so its most definitely combined with his own lack of research, as much his own fault. He probably knows all of it and just want to get money for a career he believe he should have.
 

WarriorofTime

Registered User
Jul 3, 2010
32,039
21,386
Not exactly a sympathetic plaintiff.

As far as the merits go, I think it's easy to allege negligence, harder to make a compelling argument for. He was a Restricted Free Agent without arbitration rights, his role in the conduct was certainly... heavily suspected [No HFBoards spec, etc. etc.] The team that held his rights didn't want to sign him, he presumably could have signed the qualifying offer [a 5 second google search and I can't find an example of a player that actually signed a QO, but it's presumably an option], nobody else chose to make an offer sheet or to put together a compelling trade package.

With all the facts and circumstances, I'm not sure how the Agent could have been negligent. Like when I think of that, I'm thinking of things like "teams were contacting the Agent to try and make offers, but he just never communicated that to his Client and never got back to the organizations, and so they lapsed costing the Client opportunities a reasonably prudent Agent would have provided". Teams don't want you because they suspect you engaged in criminal conduct isn't your Agent's fault.
 

krutovsdonut

eeyore
Sep 25, 2016
17,671
10,396
this might be his last desperate shot to monetize hockey but it could perhaps be something. the idea of them unofficially representing him sounds like they didn't want his name of on their official client lists. if there is evidence newport sandbagged, ghosted or neglected him because of the allegations he may have a case. i can definitely imagine a scenario where they were unenthusiastic about knocking on doors on his behalf.

but he'd need to prove not only that was the case but also that he would have been signed by somebody if they had tried harder.
 

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