THe Syracuse Crunch announced today that the Columbus Blue Jackets have signed defenseman Mikko Maenpaa (pronounced MEE-koh MAHN-pah) to a one-year, two-way NHL-American Hockey League contract, club Interim General Manager Jim Clark announced today. As is club policy, terms were not disclosed.

Maenpaa, 24, tallied 14 goals and 26 assists for 40 points with 48 penalty minutes and a +16 plus/minus rating in 52 games with HPK Hameenlinna in the Finnish Elite League in 2006-07 as he helped the club to a third place finish with a 25-11-5 record. He added 3-2-5 and 10 penalty minutes in nine playoff games as the club captured the bronze medal.

A native of Tampere, Finland, Maenpaa has appeared in 142 career games in the Finnish Elite League and registered 14- 31-45 and 112 penalty minutes with HPK Hameenlinna, Pelicans Lahti and JYP Jyvaskyla. He also played for Finland at the 2002 World Junior Championships and collected 0-1-1 and four penalty minutes in six games en route to capturing a bronze medal.