It was fun knowing you, Savannah Ghost Pirates. The ECHL franchise will no longer be affiliated with the Vegas Golden Knights, starting in 2024-25. The organization will name new NHL and AHL affiliates on June 17, ending a two-year run with Vegas. During that time, the Ghost Pirates went 58-68-16-2 in the league. They earned 134 points in those two seasons, leaving them near the bottom of the South division.
The Ghost Pirates will announce their new NHL/AHL affiliate on Monday, June 17 at 2 p.m. at Enmarket Arena! #TimeToHaunt 👻
— Savannah Ghost Pirates (@SavGhostPirates) June 11, 2024
RSVP here | https://t.co/xNNYor9cbQ pic.twitter.com/wJig722c82
Parting is such sweet sorrow with the organization, where the Georgia-based team will move on to other pastures. However, the Tahoe Knight Monsters are rumored to be the frontrunners to replace Savannah. While nothing has been confirmed yet, it makes sense given the new franchise's proximity to the Golden Knights.
Expect an announcement from Vegas soon regarding their new ECHL affiliate. As for the replacement, will it be the Knight Monsters? Or will the Vegas Golden Knights toss a curveball to their fans and name a new organization into their family? It's all a mystery that the Mystery Gang might have trouble solving. However, let's see what the new candidate, the Tahoe Knight Monsters, is all about.
Getting to know the Tahoe Knight Monsters
The Tahoe Knight Monsters are based in a small Nevada city called Stateline, near Lake Tahoe. It's conveniently named for its proximity to the iconic American landmark and the mythical creature, Tahoe Tessie. They will be in the Mountain division and play in the Western Conference.
They will play their home games at the Tahoe Blue Event Center. The team is owned by an ownership group led by Tim Tebow and David Hodges. Alex Loh will be the head coach for the new franchise.
Whether they become the new ECHL affiliate for the Vegas Golden Knights remains to be seen. However, it makes plenty of sense for the newest minor-league franchise to earn that distinction, ranging from the location down to the team colors (black, teal, and gold). Even the name has a parallel to the NHL team.
What about the Cincinnati Cyclones?
The Cincinnati Cyclones are another unaffiliated ECHL franchise. They have some success in franchise history, winning three conference titles and two Kelly Cup titles. The Cyclones also have six division titles to their name, adding some prestige to their team's lore.
However, there's a good reason for the speculation of the Knight Monsters possibly becoming affiliated with the Vegas Golden Knights. The aforementioned similarities and proximity add fuel to the fire. Will it happen? Stay tuned.