Flyers sign veteran Ryan for Phantoms

If you were looking for change in Adirondack after a 10-game losing streak that made the Phantoms the worst team in the AHL, Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren has delivered.

Since Nov. 1, Holmgren has:

-Fired coach Greg Gilbert and brought in AHL Hall of Famer John Paddock to run the team.

-Signed veteran Denis Hamel to contribute with scoring and mentor the 8 rookies on the Phantoms' roster.

-Traded for veteran Danny Syvret, who has considerable NHL experience, and added a rookie forward in Rob Bordson.

-Re-called rookies Cullen Eddy and Nic Riopel from ECHL Greenville to further challenge the players on the roster.

Today, Holmgren officially added veteran Michael Ryan to the Phantoms' roster by signing him to a one-year contract worth $77,000 in the AHL and $500,000 in the NHL.

Ryan, 30, actually attended Flyers training camp in September on a tryout basis but never stuck with the team. The Boston native was a second round pick (32nd overall) in 1999. He is a veteran of 83 NHL games with Carolina and Buffalo and has played in more than 250 games in the AHL.

Ryan officially cleared through NHL waivers today. He skated in 6 games with the Springfield (Mass.) Falcons this season.

The Phantoms will be in Atlantic City on Sunday, Dec. 5 to face off against the Albany Devils in a special matchup at Boardwalk Hall.

For the latest updates, follow Frank Seravalli on Twitter at http://twitter.com/DNFlyers.