The Jamestown Vikings were a professional

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice hock ...

team that played in the now defunct

Mid-Atlantic Hockey League The Mid-Atlantic Hockey League (MAHL) was a minor professional ice hockey league in the Mid-Atlantic and Great Lakes regions of the United States. The league began play in November 2007. The league was a low level league designed to help ex juni ...

. They were in Jamestown,

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

at the

Jamestown Savings Bank Ice Arena Northwest Arena is a multi-purpose arena in Jamestown, New York, USA. It hosts local sporting events and concerts. It is the home of the Jamestown Rebels junior hockey team in the North American Hockey League. It has been the home of two short-live ...

Team history

The league canceled the remainder of the 2007-08 season and suspended operations on February 12, 2008. The MAHL planned to return with teams in new locations in 2008-09. The Vikings and

Valley Forge Freedom The Battle Creek Revolution was a professional ice hockey team which played in the All American Hockey League. The team played its home games at Revolution Arena in Battle Creek, Michigan. The team was initially announced to play in the Mid-Atla ...

, the league's two most fiscally solvent franchises, were expected to remain in the league if and when the league returns. After the season ended, several Vikings players went on a drunken rampage at a local lodge in Jamestown, believing that league and team owner Andrew Haines owned the lodge (he did not) and causing tens of thousands of dollars in damage. League officials originally said that they fully expected the Vikings to be a part of a renewed league in 2008-09. However, on March 18, the league announced that the Jamestown team would move to Ohio, and play as the Lake Erie Vikings, citing the vandalism incident as the primary reason for the departure. It was later revealed that the Jamestown Savings Bank Ice Arena had revoked the Vikings' lease because of the league's financial problems.Fanelli, Patrick
Junior Hockey Coming To City

The Post-Journal The '' Post-Journal'' is a daily newspaper, serving the area around Jamestown, New York. The current editor of the paper is John Whittaker. It is owned by Ogden Newspapers Inc. and is billed as "southwestern New York's leading newspaper" with a c ...

. 20 March 2008. The team later announced its intentions to begin play at "The Pond" in

Auburn Township, Geauga County, Ohio Auburn Township is one of the sixteen townships of Geauga County, Ohio, United States. As of the 2010 census the population was 6,443, up from 5,158 at the 2000 census. It is southeast of downtown Cleveland. Geography Located in the southern par ...

, but after the folding of the MAHL in September 2008, the Vikings never played again. A junior "A" hockey franchise named the

Jamestown Jets The Jamestown Jets were an American junior ice hockey team based in Jamestown, New York. Originally members of the United Junior Hockey League and later the Northern Junior Hockey League. The Jets played in the Canadian Greater Metro Junior A Hoc ...

replaced the Vikings in Jamestown.

References

External links

Lake Erie VikingsMid-Atlantic Hockey League
Mid-Atlantic Hockey League teams Ice hockey teams in Ohio Sports in Jamestown, New York 2007 establishments in New York (state) 2008 disestablishments in Ohio Ice hockey clubs established in 2007 Ice hockey clubs disestablished in 2008 Viking Age in popular culture {{NewYork-sport-team-stub