Fans at Savannah Hockey Classic excited for Ghost Pirates season

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) -The Savannah Hockey Classic was back in 2022 after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic; something hockey fans in Savannah were happy to have return.

“It’s a really good community event, you know? Lots of people wearing lots of different jerseys, and it’s cool to see lots of hockey fans coming together and just watching some good hockey,” said Alex Cortez, a local hockey fan.

The Savannah Hockey Classic is typically a once a year event, but with the Savannah Ghost Pirates, the new ECHL team dropping the puck in the fall, soon the Hostess City can enjoy the sport more than just one weekend a year.

“Every year the saddest thing to me is, you know, the kids that fall in love with hockey and they’ve got to wait a whole year to see it again here in Savannah, and so I’m really excited this year that they only have to wait until October, and then there’s going to be a lot of hockey after that, so it’s really exciting,” said Rob Wells, the Director for the Savannah Sports Council.

The Hockey Classic has been held at the Savannah Civic Center since 1999 and is played by club hockey teams from Georgia, Georgia Tech, Florida and Florida State.

They dubbed this year the “Frozen Finale” as the event will move into the new EnMarket Arena, which will be home to the Ghost Pirates, next time around- something fans are gearing up for.

“I’m extremely excited. I already got season tickets,” said Cortez. “I miss being able to go to hockey games all the time and it’s something that’s going to add a lot to my experience living here.”

His friend, Will Etheridge shared in the anticipation.

“I cannot wait. I have never been into hockey until I met this guy, and he’s just got me full on board for it, and it’s going to be a blast.”

The Florida Gators took home the 2022 Thrasher Cup, going 2-0 over the weekend.

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