Earlier today, the Savannah Ghost Pirates announced that they have signed defenseman Chris Lipe and forward Mitchell Russell for the 2025-2026 season.
Chris Lipe Joins the Crew
Chris Lipe is a 25-year-old defenseman from Rockford, Michigan, who has been with the Iowa Heartlanders since the 2022–2023 season. Before joining the Heartlanders, Lipe played at the collegiate level for Michigan Tech, where he had 25 points over his four seasons.
Since leaving Michigan Tech and joining Iowa, Lipe has played in 126 professional games, scoring six goals and adding 11 assists for 17 points. By acquiring Lipe, Savannah now completes a future considerations trade that sent Jeri-Leon to Iowa earlier this year. The Ghost Pirates will be counting on Lipe to bolster the blue line as they focus on rebuilding the defensive aspect of their roster. Last season was rough defensively for Savannah, and Lipe will likely be an impactful presence they rely upon this upcoming season.
Mitchell Russell Looks to Fire The Cannons
Mitchell Russell has plenty of professional experience under his belt, having played in both the ECHL and the AHL. Originally, Russell played in the OHL with the Owen Sound Attack for two seasons before joining the OHL’s North Bay Battalion for another two seasons. In the forward’s final season in the OHL with North Bay, he had an incredible year—scoring 41 goals and 47 assists, totaling a whopping 88 points in 64 games. During that same 2021–2022 season, Russell was seen as a leader in the locker room, wearing the “A” for his team.
Russell made his professional debut with the Wichita Thunder in the 2022–2023 season. Over the next several seasons, he spent time between both the ECHL and AHL levels. In his 12 games with the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda (SJ Sharks affiliate), Russell has scored two goals. The forward’s ECHL numbers are significantly better, putting up a respectable 44 points—19 goals and 25 assists—in 81 games. The Ghost Pirates will be hoping he can continue to put up solid numbers on the scoresheet next season as they look to improve upon last season’s record.
Looking to Next Season
After signing both Lipe and Russell, the Ghost Pirates now have eight players signed for next season. Lipe and Russell join Keaton Pehrson, Logan Drevitch, Connor Gregga, Kyle Jeffers, Nick Granowicz, and Liam Walsh. Savannah still needs a goaltender on their roster and will be looking to fill that spot in the near future.
As far as defensemen are concerned, they have a solid beginning in Pehrson and Lipe. Both will be looked to as key contributors on the blue line, most likely playing heavy minutes as of now. The forward group is arguably starting stronger than it was last season, as all their forwards are very capable of playing in all situations and putting the puck in the net. The Ghost Pirates are also focusing on adding some grit to the lineup to be harder to play against this upcoming season.
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