Leafs sign Paul Ranger to 1-year contract

The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed defenseman Paul Ranger to a one-year contract.

Damien Cox of the Toronto Star tweeted Wednesday that the Leafs had outbid “a bunch of other clubs” for Ranger’s signature.

Ranger, 28, played 270 regular season games from 2005-09 with the Tampa Bay Lightning before leaving the game for undisclosed personal reasons.

Ranger was “sorting out what he wants to do with his hockey career and his life,” said Tampa GM Steve Yzerman at the time. “At this point he is not prepared to come back to the NHL, and I respect his position.”

After acting as an assistant coach with his hometown Bantam team in Whitby, Ontario, Ranger returned to hockey in 2012 with the Toronto Marlies, registering 25 points in 51 games.

The smooth-skating defenseman’s best year came in the 2007-08 season, where he registered a career-high 10 goals and 21 assists for the Lightning.