Alex Formenton was granted a leave of absence from Swiss club Ambri-Piotta for personal reasons. He last played for the Ottawa Senators in the NHL in 2021-22.

Alex Formenton has been granted a leave of absence by Ambri-Piotta of the Swiss National League for personal reasons.

The team said it has allowed Formenton to return to Canada and will have no further statements on the matter at the moment.

Formenton, 24, has spent the past two seasons with Ambri-Piotta and is an RFA who is on the Ottawa Senators' reserve list, according to PuckPedia. His entry-level contract expired in summer 2022, but the Senators have not signed him during that time. Restricted free agents (RFAs) must sign by 5 p.m. ET on Dec. 1 of any given year in order for the contract to be valid and for the player to play NHL games in that season, per PuckPedia. Formenton has not signed by the Dec. 1 deadline in 2022 and 2023.

The Barrie, Ont., native has 109 career NHL games with 23 goals, 16 assists and 39 points. His first full season with the Senators came in 2021-22 when he had 18 goals and 32 points in 79 games. This season in the Swiss League, Formenton has 10 goals and 16 points in 24 games.

Ottawa selected Formenton in the second round, 47th overall, in the 2017 NHL draft from the OHL's London Knights. That winter, Formenton played for Team Canada in the 2018 World Junior Championship, which won gold.