The Savannah Ghost Pirates are a professional

minor league Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities/markets. This term is used in Nort ...

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...

team in the

ECHL The ECHL (formerly the East Coast Hockey League) is a minor professional ice hockey league based in Shrewsbury, New Jersey, with teams across the United States and Canada. Competitively, it is a tier below the American Hockey League (AHL). The ...

based in

Savannah, Georgia Savannah ( ) is the oldest city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia and the county seat of Chatham County, Georgia, Chatham County. Established in 1733 on the Savannah River, the city of Savannah became the Kingdom of Great Brita ...

. The team began play in the

2022–23 ECHL season The 2022–23 ECHL season was the 35th season of the ECHL. The regular season began on October 21, 2022, and ended on April 16, 2023, with the 2023 Kelly Cup playoffs to follow. 28 teams in 20 states and two Canadian provinces played 72 games. ...

with home games at Enmarket Arena.

History

In January 2021, the city of

, was reported to have come to an agreement with the

's Jacksonville Icemen majority owner Andy Kaufmann to place an expansion team in the new Savannah Arena for the 2022–23 season. The team was the first tenant announced for Enmarket Arena, which was planned to be completed in January 2022. The ECHL approved the membership of the expansion team on January 27, 2021, to begin play in the 2022–23 season. On October 27, 2021, the team name was announced as the Savannah Ghost Pirates. On May 19, 2022, the Ghost Pirates announced a one-year affiliation for the 2022–23 season with the

Vegas Golden Knights The Vegas Golden Knights are a professional ice hockey team based in the Las Vegas Valley, Las Vegas metropolitan area. The Golden Knights compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division ...

of the

National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...

(NHL), as well as their

American Hockey League The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league in North America that serves as the primary developmental league of the National Hockey League (NHL). The league comprises 32 teams, with 26 in the United States and 6 in Cana ...

(AHL) affiliate, the

Henderson Silver Knights The Henderson Silver Knights are a professional ice hockey team based in Henderson, Nevada. They are the American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate of the Vegas Golden Knights of the National Hockey League (NHL). The team plays its home games at Lee ...

. Additionally, former NHL player and Union Dutchmen head coach Rick Bennett was announced as Savannah's first head coach. The team was placed in the South Division with the

Atlanta Gladiators The Atlanta Gladiators are a professional minor league ice hockey team based in Duluth, Georgia. The Gladiators play in the South Division of the ECHL's Eastern Conference. They play their home games at Gas South Arena, approximately northeast ...

Florida Everblades The Florida Everblades are a professional minor league ice hockey team based in Estero, Florida, in the Cape Coral-Fort Myers, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, Cape Coral-Fort Myers metropolitan area. They play in the ECHL and are affiliat ...

Greenville Swamp Rabbits The Greenville Swamp Rabbits are a professional ice hockey team located in Greenville, South Carolina. They play in the South Division of the ECHL's Eastern Conference and play their home games at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in downtown Gr ...

, Jacksonville Icemen,

Orlando Solar Bears The Orlando Solar Bears are a professional ice hockey team that plays their home games at Kia Center (formerly Amway Center) in Orlando, Florida. They play in the South Division of the ECHL's Eastern Conference and are affiliated with the Tampa ...

, and the

South Carolina Stingrays The South Carolina Stingrays are a professional minor league ice hockey team based in North Charleston, South Carolina. The Stingrays play in the South Division of the ECHL's Eastern Conference. They play their home games at the North Charleston ...

. On June 17, 2024, Ghost Pirates announced an affiliation agreement with the

Florida Panthers The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in the Miami metropolitan area. The Panthers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team initially played it ...

of the

(NHL), as well as their

(AHL) affiliate, the

Charlotte Checkers The Charlotte Checkers are a professional ice hockey team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the American Hockey League (AHL), and are the top minor league affiliate of the ...

Culture

The Ghost Pirates have quickly developed a passionate and colorful fanbase that reflect Savannah's unique local culture. Supporters regularly attend games in themed attire, including pirate gear and custom jerseys. Season ticket holders can often be easily recognized in the stands with their synchronized chants, and limited edition jerseys, showcasing their commitment to the team. The team mascot, Davy, has become a staple of the crowd's energy, often seen throughout the stands greeting fans and hyping up the crowd. Fans who are not in attendance of the games can enjoy live streams of the games at Rogue Water Tap House. After home games, it's common to see Ghost Pirates' fans in Mcdonough's Restaurant & Lounge, singing karaoke or enjoying the camaraderie.

Season-by-season record

''Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, OTL = Overtime losses, SOL = shootout losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, PIM = Penalties in minutes''

References

External links

* ECHL teams Ice hockey clubs established in 2021 Ice hockey teams in Georgia (U.S. state) Sports clubs and teams in Savannah, Georgia 2021 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state) Florida Panthers minor league affiliates Vegas Golden Knights minor league affiliates {{US-icehockey-team-stub