Newcastle Vipers

Vipers in the bmibay Elite League in 2008

The 2005-06 bmibaby Elite League runners-up and playoff champions, the Vipers came back down to the ground with a bump during the 2006-07 season.

The North East’s top flight club, under the leadership of Paddy O’Connor (Chairman), Rob Wilson (player/director) and Paul Ferone (player/director), had a turbulent season on the ice, but continued to make huge strides off the ice.

Despite being one of the EIHL’s lower budget team’s, along with the likes of Edinburgh and Hull, the Vipers remained competitive all season long and upset some of the “bigger” clubs along the way. Where Edinburgh and Hull failed, Rob Wilson’s outfit made the end of season playoffs following a 3-1 win over their bogey team, the Manchester Phoenix.

The bragging rights came off the ice, where success is paramount in maintaining Elite League Ice Hockey at the Metro Radio Arena. The club announced in March the signing of a two-year title sponsorship extension with local computer components firm, Mobilx. The deal involved a significant five-figure sum which is believed to be the biggest in British Ice Hockey, and was expanded to include the club’s new Community Foundation. Newcastle College, another new sponsor, also agreed a deal which saw their logo appear on the Vipers helmets.

Wilson had surprised many the season before when he decided to go with BNL stars Jan Krajicek, Pavel Gomenyuk and Matus Petricko. Along with all-star netminder Trevor Koenig, the quartet were an unknown quantity to the Vipers Elite League rivals and turned out to be outstanding acquisitions for Wilson. However, their standout performances saw all four move onto rival clubs, with Koenig, Krajicek and Petricko receiving offers the Vipers tight budget just couldn’t accommodate.

Having done all he could to keep his star players, Wilson accepted the inevitable and made moves to sign replacements. Following the surprise release of Pavol Mihalik from the Cassidy Coventry Blaze, Wilson moved to snap up the Slovakian defenceman to fill the slot left by Excel Hull Stingrays bound Pavel Gomenyuk. Despite Mihalik’s small stature, the former Grand Slam winner became a firm fan favourite with the Vipers faithful.

Following the departure of Koenig to the Cassidy Coventry Blaze, Wilson turned to former Panthers cageman Curtis Cruickshank as his starting netminder. However, the Canadian failed to live up to expectations and was replaced by former Cardiff Devil, Peter Aubry, in October. Former Vipers defenceman Jason Robinson, was recruited having played against the club for the Unison Sheffield Steelers in the previous season’s playoff final. Basingstoke Bison center Jim Shepherd who Wilson described as “one of the most annoying guys he’d ever faced” also joined, having posted impressive numbers with the Hampshire club.

The signing that turned most heads, was that of former Calgary Flames hardman, Brantt Myhres. Wilson had brought in the NHLer to score goals, following numerous discussions with various agents and coaches. Within days of flying into the country, it became apparent that Myhres wasn’t what had been expected - the trap door was looming with Wilson acknowledging he had made a mistake.

The core British re-signings of Longstaff, Weaver, Lee, Johnson and Tasker were joined by Ben Campbell, Jez Lundin and Richie Thoronton who signed from the Whitley Warriors, York Solihull Barons and Excel Hull Stingrays respectively. Along with Campbell and Lundin, the likes of Callum Hewitt and Nathan Taylor gained some valuable experience having iced for the EIHL Vipers and the club’s successful ENL outfit.

When the puck finally dropped on the first game of the season, a 3-2 exhibition win against Coventry, it looked as though Wilson may have built another roster to compete with the league’s best. Following a 10-4 win against Hull and a 5-4 win against Sheffield, some were hoping for a repeat of the 2005-06 season. However, only one week later, the Vipers fell to a 5-1 defeat in Basingstoke and 3-1 defeat on Humberisde only 24 hours later - the alarm bells started to ring!

After only two training sessions, Wilson had realised that former NHL hardman Myhres was not up to the task - the former Calgary Flame was send packing. Scottish forward Matt Rich had failed to settle in the area and accepted an offer to join former Edinburgh coach Tony Hand in Manchester. With space in the budget and having talked in the summer, Wilson moved to sign snipper Cory Morgan who had been a massive hit at the Metro Radio Arena the season before.

Despite a slight improvement in results, the Vipers were still floating around the playoff drop zone. Days after the Aubry signing, Wilson moved to sign speedster Rod Hinks who had spent the previous three season’s with Italian outfit, Merano. An instant hit with Vipers fans, Hinks displayed the quality that hadn’t been seen on Tyneside since the departure of Marc West in 2003.

Vipers Vs Manchester Pheonix

Further changes came at Christmas, when Jim Shepherd departed the team following “differences” in the dressing room. Immediately, Wilson started looking around North America and mainland Europe, however the Vipers stringent budget meant he missed out on target after target. In late March however, Iain Fraser, a player both the Vipers and the Unison Sheffield Steelers had been chasing for most of the season, agreed to join his former team-mate, Rod Hinks on Tyneside.

The league season ended with an eight place finish for the Mobilx Vipers, making the playoffs by some ten points following last weekend wins against Edinburgh and the Coors Belfast Giants. It was a season labelled by chairman Paddy O’Connor as “extremely disappointing” but at the same time “relieved” to have made the playoffs following the club’s start to the season.

League Position/Honours

• Playoffs - Quarter-Finalists
• Challenge Cup - 2nd in Group
• Knock-out Cup - Eliminated in first round

Top Points Scorers

Top Penalty Takers

Netminders