Newcastle Jesters

{{infobox sports team

|image=Newcastle jesters 2001.png

|league=Ice Hockey Superleague

|founded=1996

|history=Newcastle Cobras 1996–98
Newcastle Riverkings 1998–2000
Newcastle Jesters 2000–01

|arena=Telewest Arena

|city=Newcastle upon Tyne, England

|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 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.{{cite news |last1=Batchelder |first1=Vic |title=Steelers stressed out as cup goes up in smoke |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/story/0,3604,408975,00.html |access-date=6 March 2023 |work=The Guardian |date=9 December 2000}} 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.{{cite news |title=Ice Hockey: Devils still on fire |url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/arid-30004444.html |access-date=6 March 2023 |work=Irish Examiner |date=19 February 2001}} 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.{{cite news |title=Broke Jesters fail to see funny side |url=https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/broke-jesters-fail-see-funny-1679305# |access-date=6 March 2023 |work=Evening Chronicle |date=30 March 2001}} By April 2001 the general manager of the club was in talks to move to Sheffield.{{cite news |title=Jesters boss in talks on club move |url=https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/7113205.jesters-boss-talks-club-move/ |access-date=6 March 2023 |work=The Northern Echo |date=6 April 2001}} 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.{{cite news |title=Jesters boss issues promise |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/1479538.stm |access-date=6 March 2023 |work=BBC News}} 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.

File:Newcastle Riverkings logo.png{{Clear}}

=2000–01 Ice Hockey Superleague Roster=

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

class="wikitable"

Pos.

! Name

! Nationality

! Birthdate

! Birthplace

style="text-align:center;"|GK

|Jimmy Hibbert

|{{flagicon|CAN}} Canadian

|8 February 1975

|Toronto, Ontario, Canada

style="text-align:center;"|GK