Savannah Joe Fleming thought his season was over on April 14th when the Ghost Pirates did not make the Kelly Cup Playoffs. This week, He got the call that his season wasn’t over; he was being called to the AHL Henderson Silver Knights.
Fleming is no stranger to Henderson. He has been called up a few times this season and appeared in Vegas when he participated in their training camp. Tonight was different. Joe made his starting debut tonight instead of being in a roster-filling position. The Henderson Silver Knights took on the Bakersfield Condors Friday night in Henderson. It was their last home game of the season. Joe had the second shot on goal of the game, seeing his second chance to score come in the second period, but was blocked by Bakersfield’s goalie. The Silver Knights went on to win that game in overtime, giving Joe a great start to his AHL on-ice career.
Joe signed his contract with the Vegas Golden Knights in 2022 and was assigned to their ECHL affiliate, the Savannah Ghost Pirates, for the 2023-2024 season. Joe Fleming didn’t follow some players’ routes when playing at the NCAA level. No, Joe became the physical player he is by joining the NCDC’s Northern Cyclones. The USHL’s Roughriders, followed by the QMJHL’s Sherbrooke Phoenix, since forgoing his commitment to Northeastern before starting his contract with Vegas.
He is a sportsman through and through, coming from a family of athletes. His father, Joe Sr, was drafted by the St. Louis Blues in 1990, but he played football with the CFL until 2006, when he retired. His mother, Stacy, played soccer in College at Assumption University and is in the hall of fame. Joe’s big sister Erin, who also plays hockey, is an Assistant Captain and a Senior at Sacred Heart University. With all that talent being developed at home, it was just a matter of time before we saw Joe shine brighter than we had already seen. He will be legendary in the NHL, but it’s just a matter of time.
Henderson takes on the Bakersfield Condors for a second night on April 20th. The puck drops at 7:00 p.m. PST.
