Newcastle Jesters

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).

Newcastle Jesters
Founded1996
LeagueIce Hockey Superleague
Team historyNewcastle Cobras 1996–98
Newcastle Riverkings 1998–2000
Newcastle Jesters 2000–01
Based inNewcastle upon Tyne, England
ArenaTelewest Arena
ColoursRed, Blue, Yellow & White
OwnerHarry Harkimo

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.[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.

Newcastle Riverkings logo

2000–01 Ice Hockey Superleague Roster
Pos. Name Nationality Birthdate Birthplace
GK Jimmy Hibbert Canada Canadian 8 February 1975 Toronto, Ontario, Canada
GK Bill Russell Canada Canadian 25 February 1977 St. Albert, Alberta, Canada
GK Tommi Satosaari Finland Finnish 17 February 1975 Jyväskylä, FIN
D Craig Binns Canada Canadian 18 July 1974 Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
D Craig Binns Canada Canadian 18 July 1974 Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
D Bob Halkidis Canada Canadian 5 March 1966 Toronto, Ontario, Canada
D Santeri Immonen Finland Finnish 29 July 1972 Helsinki, FIN
D Arttu Käyhkö Finland Finnish 5 January 1973 Joensuu, FIN
D Darren McAusland Canada Canadian 3 March 1972 Grovedale, Alberta, Canada
D Miroslav Mosnar Slovakia Slovakian 10 August 1968 Bratislava, SVK, Czechoslovakia
D Rob Wilson United Kingdom British/Canada Canadian 18 July 1968 Toronto, Ontario, Canada
RW Tero Arkiomaa Finland Finnish 20 February 1968 Helsinki, FIN
RW Louis Bedard Canada Canadian 14 October 1975 Montreal, Quebec, Canada
C/RW Michael Bowman United Kingdom British 25 October 1980 Durham, England, UK
F David Clarke United Kingdom British 5 August 1981 Peterborough, England, UK
F Eric Fenton United States American 17 July 1969 Troy, New York, USA
F Tomas Kupka Czech Republic Czech 30 September 1968 Prague, CZE
C Daniel Lacroix Canada Canadian 11 March 1969 Montreal, Quebec, Canada
C Gelnn Mulvenna United Kingdom British/Canada Canadian 18 February 1967 Calgary, Alberta, Canada
C/LW Matt Oates United States American 20 December 1972 Evanston, Illinois, USA
F Joel Poirier Canada Canadian 1 May 1975 Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada
F Stuart Potts United Kingdom British 9 October 1981 Durham, England, UK
LW Erkki Rajamäki Finland Finnish 30 October 1978 Vantaa, FIN
C Lubomir Rybovic Slovakia Slovakian 12 February 1972 Košice, SVK, Czechoslovakia
RW Timo Salonen Finland Finnish 28 August 1976 Pori, FIN
C Tommi Sova Finland Finnish 8 April 1975 Oulu, FIN
RW Jari Suorsa Finland Finnish 27 January 1976 Kuusankoski, FIN
F Andrew Tindale United Kingdom British 22 October 1980 Sunderland, England, UK

References
  1. Batchelder, Vic (9 December 2000). "Steelers stressed out as cup goes up in smoke". The Guardian. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
  2. "Ice Hockey: Devils still on fire". Irish Examiner. 19 February 2001. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
  3. "Broke Jesters fail to see funny side". Evening Chronicle. 30 March 2001. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
  4. "Jesters boss in talks on club move". The Northern Echo. 6 April 2001. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
  5. "Jesters boss issues promise". BBC News. Retrieved 6 March 2023.


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