The Newcastle Jesters were an ice hockey franchise based in Newcastle Upon Tyne, England. The team were members of the Ice Hockey Superleague and played their home games at the Telewest Arena (now the Utilita Arena).
History
Single Season of Jesters (2000–2001) The name 'Jesters' was the last of three used by the club during its five-year existence. The franchise was initially known as the Newcastle Cobras between 1996 and 1998. The team was then known as the Newcastle Riverkings for two seasons between 1998 and 2000 before it assumed its final name for the 2000–01 season.
The team featured lots of Finnish players during the teams season as the Jesters. The team had former Jokerit players Tommi Sova and Santeri Immonen, former JYP and Ilves goaltender Tommi Satosaari and Tero Arkiomaa, who was the second best pointscorer during the season. The team was coached by future multiple time world championship winning coach Jukka Jalonen.
At the end of 2000 the Jesters had lost four games in a row, and hired Canadian NHL veteran Bob Halkidis as a defender to boost their flagging fortunes. Mid-February 2001 saw the team at the bottom of the table, one point adrift of Nottingham after five successive defeats including an 8-nil defeat at the hands of Cardiff. By March 2001 it was revealed that the Jesters owed two months unpaid wages to their playing squad, who took legal action against the club. By April 2001 the general manager of the club was in talks to move to Sheffield. The Jesters were subsequently banned by the league from hiring new players due to the non-payment of salaries, but shortly before the start of the 2001-2 season Paul Smith, the chairman of the team, was still insisting that they would be playing that season. The club was then shut down.
Hockey returned to the area with the Newcastle Vipers who joined the British National League in 2002 and then became members of the Elite Ice Hockey League. The Vipers though folded in 2011.
2000–01 Ice Hockey Superleague Roster Pos. Name Nationality Birthdate BirthplaceGKJimmy Hibbert Canadian8 February 1975Toronto, Ontario, CanadaGKBill Russell Canadian25 February 1977St. Albert, Alberta, CanadaGKTommi Satosaari Finnish17 February 1975Jyväskylä, FINDCraig Binns Canadian18 July 1974Ottawa, Ontario, CanadaDBob Halkidis Canadian5 March 1966Toronto, Ontario, CanadaDSanteri Immonen Finnish29 July 1972Helsinki, FINDArttu Käyhkö Finnish5 January 1973Joensuu, FINDDarren McAusland Canadian3 March 1972Grovedale, Alberta, CanadaDMiroslav Mosnar Slovakian10 August 1968Bratislava, SVK, CzechoslovakiaDRob Wilson British/ Canadian18 July 1968Toronto, Ontario, CanadaRWTero Arkiomaa Finnish20 February 1968Helsinki, FINRWLouis Bedard Canadian14 October 1975Montreal, Quebec, CanadaC/RWMichaelBowman British25 October 1980Durham, England, UKFDavid Clarke British5 August 1981Peterborough, England, UKFEric Fenton American17 July 1969Troy, New York, USAFTomas Kupka Czech30 September 1968Prague, CZECDaniel Lacroix Canadian11 March 1969Montreal, Quebec, CanadaCGelnn Mulvenna British/ Canadian18 February 1967Calgary, Alberta, CanadaC/LWMatt Oates American20 December 1972Evanston, Illinois, USAFJoel Poirier Canadian1 May 1975Richmond Hill, Ontario, CanadaFStuart Potts British9 October 1981Durham, England, UKLWErkki Rajamäki Finnish30 October 1978Vantaa, FINCLubomir Rybovic Slovakian12 February 1972Košice, SVK, CzechoslovakiaRWTimo Salonen Finnish28 August 1976Pori, FINCTommi Sova Finnish8 April 1975Oulu, FINRWJari Suorsa Finnish27 January 1976Kuusankoski, FINFAndrew Tindale British22 October 1980Sunderland, England, UK
References