Jonathan Weaver has been inducted into the UK Ice Hockey Hall of Fame.
The Sunderland-born defenceman is the first of three 2024 inductees with two more to be announced in the coming weeks.
Weaver’s career stretched over three decades from the 1990s to the 2020s, during which time he played over 1,000 games for his club sides and was capped 97 times for Great Britain’s senior team.
He was voted the Best British Defenceman five times at club level.
After making his full debut for GB in 1998, Weaver went on to win a gold, four silver and two bronze medals with the national team and captained the squad at six World Championship tournaments (2006-11).
In his final GB season in 2017, he was part of the side in Belfast that won the gold medal and promotion.
Weaves’ list of clubs reads like a who’s-who of British ice hockey. After making his senior debut at the age of 16 with Durham Wasps in the old British League, he went on to grace the rosters of Newcastle Cobras, Manchester Storm and Ayr Scottish Eagles in the Superleague.
He signed for Hull Thunder, Fife Flyers and Newcastle Vipers in the British National League, performing a key role in Vipers’ move up to the Elite League, winning the playoff championship in 2006.
He switched to Coventry and was twice on Elite League-winning sides with the Blaze, in 2007-08 and 2009-10, captaining the club on the second occasion.
He joined the Panthers in 2012 and helped them end their long wait for a league title, as well as winning the Challenge Cup and playoffs in the same season.
Invariably wearing jersey #14, his final playing years were spent with Telford Tigers in the English Premier/National League.
In total, he played 1,066 games for British clubs, scoring 1,086 points (315 goals and 771 assists).
Away from the UK, in season 1999-2000 he travelled to North America and played briefly with Detroit Vipers in the International Hockey League and Mississippi Sea Wolves in the ECHL. He also spent time at a training camp in the American Hockey League.
He was appointed Assistant Coach of the men’s Great Britain Under-20s in July 2024.
Away from the sport, Weaver now has a full-time position with the Leicestershire Fire Service.
Weaver will be presented with his Hall of Fame certificate ahead of face-off between Nottingham Panthers and Manchester Storm tomorrow (Sunday 24th November 2024) – two of his former cubs.
Click here to read Jonathan Weaver’s bio on the UK Ice Hockey Hall of Fame.
