Confirmed with Link: Paul Ranger signs with Toronto (1 year, $1 million)

[Bolts265]

Reported that Paul Ranger has signed a 1 year contract with Toronto for 1 Million.
Hope Gudas puts him on his butt first time we play them.

Click to read more...

 

[LightningStrikes]

Darren Dreger ‏@DarrenDreger
Confirming tweets, Paul Ranger has signed with the Leafs.

https://twitter.com/DarrenDreger/status/360072873651605506

Darren Dreger ‏@DarrenDreger
Paul Ranger's deal with the Leafs is for 1 year...around $1 mil.

https://twitter.com/DarrenDreger/status/360079957344518144

 

[LightningStrikes]

Will he get booed by Lightning fans?

 

[chasespace]

Will he get booed by Lightning fans?

Will most of them even remember him?

 

[Stammer Time*]

He made a scummy move but I don't know if he's relevant enough to be booed.

 

[Orbital]

Anyone know why he 'bolted' after what 4 seasons with TPA?

 

[TBLHoser]

I don't know what his "personal reasons" were, but he quit on the team. Since we don't know what went on, I may be wrong, but if he wanted to leave he should've waited till the end of the season or gave some explanation when he came back. I won't boo, but I have little respect for his actions.

 

[AlphaCatalyst]

Anyone know why he 'bolted' after what 4 seasons with TPA?

There was just too much pressure on him playing in a Hockey hot bed such as Tampa. He could not handle all the stress from the constant hounding from the Tampa media.

 

[Steazy Doo]

Good for him.

 

[TheThunderYears]

I think Paul deserved to be boo'd mightily. Listen, I can respect a man's privacy. I don't need the gory details about whatever it was that was bothering him. But we, the fans and his former employers, at least deserved a straight answer on why he abandoned the team. We were the ones who paid his contract which allowed him the luxury to find himself, or tend to family problems, or get over an addiction, or whatever it was. You know what would happen if I just quit on work? I'd be homeless and starving within half a year.

 

[bassassin]

I think Paul deserved to be boo'd mightily. Listen, I can respect a man's privacy. I don't need the gory details about whatever it was that was bothering him. But we, the fans and his former employers, at least deserved a straight answer on why he abandoned the team. We were the ones who paid his contract which allowed him the luxury to find himself, or tend to family problems, or get over an addiction, or whatever it was. You know what would happen if I just quit on work? I'd be homeless and starving within half a year.

Exactly this.

Had he retired completely sure its different, he doesn't need to say a word.

But to wait till he becomes a UFA, sign with the Marlies, then with Toronto. Absolute kick in the teeth. If Toronto was the only place he wanted to play im sure a deal could have been made, I mean hell when Gagne only wanted to come to Tampa, Philly still got a 4th.

Nothing has ever been said, and given he was probably my second favourite player, behind Lecavalier (I was a big fan of Downie too, and Thor, I should probably start favouring Brewer or Malone if history is anything to go by ), so I am slightly more annoyed I find it so disrespectful. I dont need details, I just wanted an explanation, or hell something.

 

[Felonious Python]

I think Paul deserved to be boo'd mightily. Listen, I can respect a man's privacy. I don't need the gory details about whatever it was that was bothering him. But we, the fans and his former employers, at least deserved a straight answer on why he abandoned the team. We were the ones who paid his contract which allowed him the luxury to find himself, or tend to family problems, or get over an addiction, or whatever it was. You know what would happen if I just quit on work? I'd be homeless and starving within half a year.

I personally don't need a straight answer, as I think the topic has been talked through to my satisfaction in the Paul Ranger thread, but I understand how others would finally want a straight answer and quite honestly I don't see how he can avoid it if the media decides to really go after him, and they will if he, and the team, doesn't do well enough.

 

[Doctor Drej]

He made a scummy move but I don't know if he's relevant enough to be booed.

kind of how I feel.

 

[ultra63]

kind of how I feel.

Only good thing is TO is not overpaying him

 

[Pontius Palat]

I think Paul deserved to be boo'd mightily. Listen, I can respect a man's privacy. I don't need the gory details about whatever it was that was bothering him. But we, the fans and his former employers, at least deserved a straight answer on why he abandoned the team. We were the ones who paid his contract which allowed him the luxury to find himself, or tend to family problems, or get over an addiction, or whatever it was. You know what would happen if I just quit on work? I'd be homeless and starving within half a year.

I'm not often one to raise up a fuss about using "we" in regards to favourite hockey teams, but I think claiming that you were his employer is quite absurd.

I mean, I'd love to say that Stamkos works for me, but still...

And as for Ranger I'm sure he went through some tough ****. And while he left rather unprofessionally, it's not like we lost anything too special. If he was more Justin Schultz calibre or something then it'd be quite different.

 

[zeykshade]

Hope he does well, except when we play the Leafs. Whatever it was that caused him to leave the game of hockey for awhile, it had to be important. You can't really make it to the NHL without loving the game. Glad to see he's worked through it and is ready to give the game another shot.

 

[LightningStrikes]

I'm not often one to raise up a fuss about using "we" in regards to favourite hockey teams, but I think claiming that you were his employer is quite absurd.

I mean, I'd love to say that Stamkos works for me, but still...

And as for Ranger I'm sure he went through some tough ****. And while he left rather unprofessionally, it's not like we lost anything too special. If he was more Justin Schultz calibre or something then it'd be quite different.

Well, he was something special to us back when. He played up to 25 minutes per night and put up solid stats (in both point production and advanced stats) on mediocre to terrible Lightning teams.

 

[Doctor Drej]

Exactly. He was a prime top 4 dman for us. If he doesn't quit we would have been in so much better shape defensively, maybe not even having to trade for Brewer the next year.

 

[TheThunderYears]

I'm not often one to raise up a fuss about using "we" in regards to favourite hockey teams, but I think claiming that you were his employer is quite absurd.

I mean, I'd love to say that Stamkos works for me, but still...

We can agree to disagree, but if not his employer we are all certainly his bankroll. I live three states away and have spent at least $1000 on the Lightning over the past several seasons and a similar amount over Paul's tenure in Tampa. We the fans are the reason these guys make millions of dollars to play a game. Does this relationship mean they need to give up all privacy? Certainly not. But, I don't think it's unreasonable to expect an answer as to why he completely bailed on the team.

 

[zeykshade]

I think the people that need to know, know. Just because he's a sports figure in the community doesn't mean you and I have a right to know about his personal life. I think it speaks to the integrity of Yzerman and the organization that they've respected his privacy and let him focus on his personal life. I don't think he even collected a check on our dime. He was paid for his performance on the ice and that's all. Didn't he return a portion of his salary and not collect for the remainder of his contract(obviously)?

 

[IdealisticSniper]

Everything was just way to convenient for how this story unfolded. No respect for him regardless of what the actual problem was. A professional plays through it and certainly doesn't abandon his sports family.

Sorry but I hope he fails miserably and if that's wrong then so be it.

 

[Felonious Python]

Everything was just way to convenient for how this story unfolded. No respect for him regardless of what the actual problem was. A professional plays through it and certainly doesn't abandon his sports family.

Sorry but I hope he fails miserably and if that's wrong then so be it.

Can you explain what you mean by this?

 

[IdealisticSniper]

Can you explain what you mean by this?

He decides out of nowhere he doesn't want to play hockey anymore.

Just days after his rights being held by TB expire and he is officially an UFA he has a change of heart and wants to try a comeback.

Signs with Marlies.

Signs with Toronto.

Lot of coincidence IMO. Could just be that but sure looks fishy.

 

[MattM92]

He decides out of nowhere he doesn't want to play hockey anymore.

Just days after his rights being held by TB expire and he is officially an UFA he has a change of heart and wants to try a comeback.

Signs with Marlies.

Signs with Toronto.

Lot of coincidence IMO. Could just be that but sure looks fishy.

Couldn't agree more. I may be the only one to give him a few boo's his first time back, but I don't care. In my opinion he deserves it for his lack of professionalism.

 

[Coopers Gum]

Who cares.