The ECHL offseason has officially begun, and earlier today, the Savannah Ghost Pirates released their protected list for 2024–25. Teams were required to submit their lists by 3 p.m. on Sunday, June 8th. Each organization was allowed to protect an unlimited number of players, provided they met the eligibility requirements outlined in the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the ECHL and the Professional Hockey Players’ Association.
A team may protect any player who:
- Signed a Standard Player Contract (SPC) for 2024–25 and has not been traded or released, OR
- Signed an SPC and was recalled to the NHL, AHL, or an IIHF team without being traded or released, OR
- Received a qualifying offer last summer but did not sign an SPC, and has not been traded or released, OR
- Is currently suspended but remains under team control and has not been traded or released, OR
- Signed an SPC during the 2024–25 season and later signed an NHL/AHL contract, without being traded or released, OR
- Submitted a formal ECHL retirement form, and has not been traded or released.
Savannah elected to protect 22 players in total—18 forwards and four defensemen. No goaltenders were protected by Savannah.
Forwards
The Savannah Ghost Pirates wasted no time locking down their forward depth for the offseason. With 18 forwards protected, the team clearly focused on retaining a mix of core contributors, late-season standouts, and potential returners.
A few of those key offensive contributors were protected as well with Logan Drevitch, Devon Paliani, and Reece Vitelli all making the list. Devon Paliani led Savannah in points last season with 59 points coming from 32 goals and 27 assists. Reece Vitelli and captain Logan Drevitch were also high impact players for Savannah both having 52 points on the year.
While not all players saw significant ice time last year, the remaining list reflects a wide net of talent—some proven, some still developing, and a few yet to debut in Savannah.
Ross Armour: 36 GP, 16G, 16A
Matt Choupani: 7 GP, 3A
Seth Fyten: 6 GP, 1G
Nick Granowicz: 72 GP, 12G 17A
Connor Gregga: 17 GP, 2G, 1A
Pat Guay: 67 GP, 15G, 27A
Kyle Jeffers: 46 GP, 7G, 7A
Zach Krajnik: 6 GP, 2G, 2A
Graham McPhee: 8 GP, 2G, 4A
Ryan Sullivan: 15 GP, 3A
Cristophe Tellier: 6 G, 3G
Liam Walsh: 72 GP, 13G, 14A
The Savannah Ghost Pirates also protected four defensemen, Will Riedell being the most experienced among them with 46 games for Savannah this year. In his 46 games, the defenseman had eight goals and 20 assists totaling 28 points on the year. The other defensemen that were protected by Savannah were:
Michael Suda: Logged 6 games and scored once, showing potential in limited action.
Ethan Szmagaj: Chipped in an assist in his four games with the team.
The next key date for the Ghost Pirates will be the future considerations trade deadline on June 20th at 3pm. A large part of Savannah’s struggles this year were in net, and it appears that it will be an area of focus for the front office this offseason. Savannah will be looking to rebuild the defense and find an answer in net in order to hopefully punch their ticket to the playoffs next season. Fans can look forward to Savannah making a splash on June 23rd once teams are allowed to make signings for the upcoming season.
ITR 43: It's Winning Time – Inside The Rink
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