The ECHL has released the 24-25 schedules, and we can now see what The Savannah Ghost Pirates season will look like. Despite a challenging second season, the Ghost Pirates showed remarkable resilience. They rallied back after a coaching change was made in February when Alex Loh was named interim coach after Rick Bennett was fired due to coaching differences and a decline in team morale and play. This change, though it didn’t happen soon enough to secure a playoff spot, has set the stage for a promising future. With Alex Loh moving on to the Tahoe Knight Monsters and Jared Staal on board as Head Coach, we look forward to a season of growth and success.
However, the potential affiliation change looms over the Ghost Pirates, introducing an element of uncertainty. The team could potentially lose some key players, as their contracts are held by the Vegas Golden Knights unless the new affiliate decides to retain them. Until this decision is made, we can only hope that our players remain loyal and don’t opt for opportunities overseas, a trend that many other teams are currently grappling with.
A Time to Haunt starts with a home game against Indy Fuel on October 18th. This will be the Ghost Pirates’ first meeting with Indy in franchise history, a momentous occasion that we are eagerly anticipating. A few matches this season will also be like this, each a new opportunity for our team to shine. Continuing opening weekend, the Ghost Pirates meet South Carolina Stingrays in Charleston, South Carolina, continuing their saga from last season, when they took them down 5-1. Since then, both teams have had coaching changes and seen teammates come and go, giving us big hopes for next season.
During the 24-25 season, the Ghost Pirates will take on their Southern Division compadres: the Eastern Conference Champions Florida Everblades, Orlando Solarbears, Atlanta Gladiators, Greenville Swamp Rabbits, and Jacksonville Icemen. The Everblades are fighting for the Kelly Cup for the third time and will be one of the fiercest opponents they meet in the South next season.
Then, the Ghost Pirates will meet for the first time since franchise conception: the Western Conference Champions Kansas City Mavericks, Northern Division Champions Adirondack Thunder, Idaho Steelheads, and the brand new franchise Bloomington Bison. They will also see opponents they met with outside of the Southern market: the Norfolk Admirals, Cincinnati Cyclones, Trois-Rivières Lions, and Worcester Railers.
The Mavericks, Everblades, Thunder, Admirals, and Steelheads were all Kelly Cup Playoff teams. They will put Savannah at a whole new level of play this coming season, and I can’t wait to see what happens. The Ghost Pirates fanbase is ready and will be present every home game and in spirit for away games, united in our support for our team as they find their footing in this new era.
A Time to Haunt kicks off October 18th at Enmark Arena in Savannah, and the puck drops at 7:30 PM EST.
