Phantoms sign Dyer for 2007-08

The Sylvania native led his Midget AAA team in scoring this season.
BOARDMAN -- The Mahoning Valley Phantoms announced the signing of center Chris Dyer to a tender contract for the 2007-08 season Wednesday.
Dyer, a native of Sylvania, is a product of the Honeybaked Midget AAA hockey club. He led his team in scoring with 68 points on 29 goals and 39 assists and finished with a plus-16 in 69 games this season.
He is the son of Jean and Richard Dyer of Sylvania and is a junior at Toledo St. Francis DeSales High School.
"The coaching staff and the proximity to home were big reasons for me to come here," Dyer said.
"He's a highly-skilled all-around player," Phantoms assistant coach Curtis Carr said. "A lot of the kids we see are either very skilled offensively or defensively. Chris has developed a complete game at both ends of the ice."
Expects to contribute
Dyer, a 5-foot-11, 190 pound forward, feels his skills can pay immediate dividends for the Phantoms next season.
"I'm a hard-working defensive center, but I can put the puck in the net when needed," Dyer said.
"He's a good playmaker and probably the best face-off artist I've seen in a long time," Carr said.
Dyer could be one of three Phantoms next season to hail from Sylvania. He would join right wing Alden Hirschfeld and defenseman Adam Snead. Both are graduates of Northview High School.
"It's in a unique situation for players in the Toledo area because they're so close to Detroit," Carr said. "They're able to play against high levels of Midget competition. Plus, the high school programs there are producing excellent players."
After seeing the Phantoms play recently, Dyer noted those parts of his game that he will emphasize in the offseason.
"Certainly my quickness. If I can get in shape, I should be fine," Dyer said. "But you can always improve your speed and quickness. The Phantoms play a really fast-paced game that's very physical."
Sixth player to sign
Dyer is the sixth player to sign his NAHL rights with the Phantoms for this fall.
He joins defenseman Zack Barbis (Mentor), right wing Kurt Washnock (Whitney, Pa.), forward Vince Mihalek (Willowick), defenseman John Houston (Pittsburgh, Pa.) and center Scott Moser (Tonawanda, N.Y.).