 | |
| Founded | 1996 |
|---|---|
| League | Ice Hockey Superleague |
| Team history | Newcastle Cobras 1996–98 Newcastle Riverkings 1998–2000 Newcastle Jesters 2000–01 |
| Based in | Newcastle upon Tyne, England |
| Arena | Telewest Arena |
| Colours | Red, Blue, Yellow & White |
| Owner | Harry Harkimo |
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 Metro Radio Arena).
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. [1] 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. [2] 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. [3] By April 2001 the general manager of the club was in talks to move to Sheffield. [4] 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. [5] 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.
| Pos. | Name | Nationality | Birthdate | Birthplace |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GK | Jimmy Hibbert |  Canadian | 8 February 1975 | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| GK | Bill Russell | Canadian | 25 February 1977 | St. Albert, Alberta, Canada |
| GK | Tommi Satosaari |  Finnish | 17 February 1975 | Jyväskylä, FIN |
| D | Craig Binns | Canadian | 18 July 1974 | Ottawa, Ontario, Canada |
| D | Craig Binns | Canadian | 18 July 1974 | Ottawa, Ontario, Canada |
| D | Bob Halkidis | Canadian | 5 March 1966 | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| D | Santeri Immonen | Finnish | 29 July 1972 | Helsinki, FIN |
| D | Arttu Käyhkö | Finnish | 5 January 1973 | Joensuu, FIN |
| D | Darren McAusland | Canadian | 3 March 1972 | Grovedale, Alberta, Canada |
| D | Miroslav Mosnar |  Slovakian | 10 August 1968 | Bratislava, SVK, Czechoslovakia |
| D | Rob Wilson |  British/ Canadian | 18 July 1968 | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| RW | Tero Arkiomaa | Finnish | 20 February 1968 | Helsinki, FIN |
| RW | Louis Bedard | Canadian | 14 October 1975 | Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
| C/RW | Michael Bowman | British | 25 October 1980 | Durham, England, UK |
| F | David Clarke | British | 5 August 1981 | Peterborough, England, UK |
| F | Eric Fenton |  American | 17 July 1969 | Troy, New York, USA |
| F | Tomas Kupka |  Czech | 30 September 1968 | Prague, CZE |
| C | Daniel Lacroix | Canadian | 11 March 1969 | Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
| C | Gelnn Mulvenna | British/ Canadian | 18 February 1967 | Calgary, Alberta, Canada |
| C/LW | Matt Oates | American | 20 December 1972 | Evanston, Illinois, USA |
| F | Joel Poirier | Canadian | 1 May 1975 | Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada |
| F | Stuart Potts | British | 9 October 1981 | Durham, England, UK |
| LW | Erkki Rajamäki | Finnish | 30 October 1978 | Vantaa, FIN |
| C | Lubomir Rybovic | Slovakian | 12 February 1972 | Košice, SVK, Czechoslovakia |
| RW | Timo Salonen | Finnish | 28 August 1976 | Pori, FIN |
| C | Tommi Sova | Finnish | 8 April 1975 | Oulu, FIN |
| RW | Jari Suorsa | Finnish | 27 January 1976 | Kuusankoski, FIN |
| F | Andrew Tindale | British | 22 October 1980 | Sunderland, England, UK |
The Arizona Coyotes are a professional ice hockey team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Coyotes compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference and currently play at the Mullett Arena in Tempe. They first played at America West Arena in downtown Phoenix from 1996 to 2003 and then played at Glendale's Gila River Arena from 2003 to 2022.
Helsingin Jokerit are a professional ice hockey team based in Helsinki, Finland. The team won six league championships as a member of the Finnish SM-liiga. Jokerit plays its home games at Helsinki Halli. The team was a part of the Bobrov Division of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) Western Conference from the 2014–15 season, making Finland the first Nordic country to have a team in the league.
The British Ice Hockey Superleague was a professional ice hockey league in the United Kingdom between 1996 and 2003. Devised in 1995, it replaced the premier division of the British Hockey League at the end of 1995–1996 season; following the major reshuffle of the league and the split between the first and second tier divisions; with the British National League becoming the new second tier division. It was disbanded after the 2002-03 season and replaced by the Elite Ice Hockey League. Unlike its North American counterparts, the Superleague was not divided into conferences; teams competed in a single division.
The Manitoba Moose are a professional ice hockey team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, and a member of the American Hockey League (AHL). The team plays its home games at Canada Life Centre, the home arena of its parent club, Winnipeg Jets of the National Hockey League (NHL).
The Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL), sometimes referred to as the British Elite League or, for sponsorship reasons, the Viaplay Elite League, is an ice hockey league in the United Kingdom. Formed in 2003 following the demise of the Ice Hockey Superleague, it is the highest level of ice hockey competition in the United Kingdom.
The Nottingham Panthers are a British professional ice hockey club based in Nottingham, England. They are members of the Elite Ice Hockey League. Their main team sponsor is the Nottingham Building Society.
The Durham Wasps were an ice hockey team located in Durham and was one of England's most well-known names in ice hockey. The team was bought by Sir John Hall and moved to the neighbouring city of Newcastle Upon Tyne in August 1996. The Newcastle team, after several changes became known as the Newcastle Jesters.
The Alabama Vipers were a professional arena football team, that played in the Arena Football League. For most of their history, the Vipers played as the Tennessee Valley Vipers in the now-defunct af2, the minor league for the original Arena Football League, where they won ArenaCup IX in 2008. They played their home games at the Von Braun Center. They were coached by Dean Cokinos.
From 2002–2011 the Newcastle Vipers were an ice hockey club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. The club was a member of the Elite Ice Hockey League, and the British National League.
The Detroit Vipers were an International Hockey League team. The team was founded in 1994, and played at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Their mascot was a polar bear named Vipe-bear.
The Utilita Arena Newcastle is a large indoor arena in the city of Newcastle upon Tyne, England. Owned and operated by ASM Global and sponsored by Utilita Energy, it hosts music, entertainment, sports and business events.
London Knights was an English ice hockey team based in London. They played in the UK's Ice Hockey Superleague between September 1998 and April 2003.
Tommi Satosaari is a Finnish professional ice hockey goaltender.
The Sydney Bears is an Australian semi-professional ice hockey team from Sydney, New South Wales. Established in 1982, the Bears are the only remaining founding member of the Australian Ice Hockey League (AIHL) still operating. The Bears are based at Macquarie Ice Rink, within the Macquarie Centre, in the northern suburbs of Sydney. The Sydney Bears have claimed three Goodall Cups in 2002, 2003 and 2019.
The 2005–06 Elite Ice Hockey League season ran from September 9, 2005, through April 9, 2006. The Edinburgh Capitals and Newcastle Vipers joined the Elite League from the British National League while the Manchester Phoenix did not participate for a second season due to a lack of suitable ice facility.
The Sydney Ice Dogs is an Australian semi-professional ice hockey team from Sydney, New South Wales. Formed in 2002, the Ice Dogs are a member of the Australian Ice Hockey League (AIHL). The Ice Dogs are two time Goodall Cup champions.
The 2000–01 Ice Hockey Superleague season was the fifth season of the Sekonda Ice Hockey Superleague (ISL).
The 2001–02 Ice Hockey Superleague season was the sixth season of the Ice Hockey Superleague (ISL).
The Newcastle Wildcats are a university ice hockey team representing Newcastle University in the United Kingdom. NUIHC are a member club of the British Universities Ice Hockey Association (BUIHA) and ice three teams across all three tiers of UK university competition.
Robert "Rob" Wilson is a Canadian-British professional ice hockey coach and a former professional ice hockey defenceman. He is head coach of the Peterborough Petes of the Ontario Hockey League. He is a member of the British ice hockey hall of fame.
  | This article about an English sports club is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
 | This European ice hockey team-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |