Rangers re-sign defenseman Chad Ruhwedel to a one-year contract

By The Associated Press

FILE - New York Rangers defenseman Chad Ruhwedel (5) skates against Winnipeg Jets center Vladislav Namestnikov (7) during the first period of an NHL hockey game March 19, 2024, at Madison Square Garden in New York. The Rangers have re-signed veteran defenseman Ruhwedel to a one-year contract. General manager Chris Drury announced the signing Friday, July 12, 2024, in a move that offers 23-year-old Zac Jones competition for a spot on the team's third pairing. Terms were not immediately available. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)[ASSOCIATED PRESS/Mary Altaffer]

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Rangers have signed veteran defenseman Chad Ruhwedel to a one-year contract. General manager Chris Drury announced the signing Friday in a move that offers Zac Jones competition for a spot on the team’s third pairing. Ruhwedel was acquired from Pittsburgh in March and played in five games the rest of the season as New York advanced to the Eastern Conference final, losing to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers. He finished the season with a goal, three assists in 52 games.In free agency, the Rangers lost veteran starter Erik Gustafsson to the Detroit Red Wings.