Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees
| Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| City | Hidalgo, Texas |
| League | Central Hockey League |
| Conference | Berry |
| Operated | 2003-2012 |
| Home arena | State Farm Arena |
| Colors | Black, Teal, Gold |
| Owner(s) | Hidalgo Sports, LLC |
| General manager | Terry Ruskowski |
| Head coach | Terry Ruskowski |
| Captain | Aaron Lee |
| Media | 102.1-FM KBUC with Keith Lavon |
| Affiliates |
Formerly Florida Panthers (NHL) San Antonio Rampage (AHL) |
| Franchise history | |
| 2003–2012 | Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees |
| Championships | |
| Regular season titles | None |
| Division Championships | None |
| Conference Championships | None |
| Ray Miron President's Cup | None |
The Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees were a minor league professional ice hockey team that played in the Central Hockey League. The team was based in the Rio Grande Valley in Hidalgo, Texas, just south of McAllen, and played their home games at State Farm Arena.
The team was a member of the Central Hockey League from 2003–2012, and two time CHL franchise of the year (2003–04 and 2008–09). Billy Newson, formerly of the Northeastern University Huskies, is the franchise's leader in goals (90), assists (102) and points (192), while Ryan Shmyr is the career leader in games played and penalty minutes. On June 28, 2011, Terry Ruskowski became the coach of the Killer Bees. He had formerly been the initial coach of the rival Laredo Bucks. Ruskowski had a two-year contract with the Bees. While in the CHL, the Killer Bees were affiliated with the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League and the San Antonio Rampage of the American Hockey League.
On June 20, 2012, multiple sources confirmed that the Killer Bees would not play in the 2012–13 season and ceased operations due to increased travel costs after the folding of the other Texas CHL teams in Austin, Corpus Christi and Laredo.
After a season without a team, the owners of the Wenatchee Wild franchise in the North American Hockey League (NAHL), a Tier II junior A hockey league, relocated the team to Hidalgo, Texas and took on the identity of the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees.
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