HAMILTON - It was an anxious seven hours, but the Hamilton Tiger-Cats managed to hold on to the most sought-after free agent on the market this year, Canadian defensive tackle Ted Laurent.

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Laurent spent the past two seasons with the Ticats after starting his career in Edmonton. He had 26 tackles, three sacks, and a forced fumble last year for the Ticats, a year after a 24-tackle, nine-sack effort in 2014.

“Ted has been a huge part of our defence the last two seasons and was a priority for our club as free agency opened on Tuesday,” Tiger-Cats general manager and head coach Kent Austin said in a team release. “He is a complete player that is able to defend against the run and collapse the pocket on the quarterback. We’re extremely excited to have one of the best players in the league back in Hamilton.”

For his career, the 28-year-old has 123 tackles and 23 sacks.

The Tiger-Cats also re-signed veteran receiver Andy Fantuz to a one-year deal while signing free-agent linebacker Alex Hoffman-Ellis to a two-year deal Tuesday.

Fantuz, 32, of Chatham, Ont., returns for his fifth season with Hamilton. The six-foot-four, 221-pound receiver had 42 catches for 432 yards and two touchdowns last season.

Hoffman-Ellis, 26, spent his first two CFL two seasons with the B.C. Lions.

The six-foot, 230-pound Los Angeles native had 57 tackles and three interceptions in 17 games last season with B.C., playing 10 as a starter.