Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees (CHL)

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.

History

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.[1] 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.[2]

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.[3] The team eventually relocated to Pennsylvania after only two seasons. In 2018, another junior level Killer Bees was announced as part of the USA Central Hockey League starting in October 2018, but the league folded after six weeks of operation.[4]

Team record

Season	Division	GP	W	L	OTL	SOL	Pts	Pct	GF	GA	PIM	Coach	Results
2003-04	Southeast	64	32	24	0	8	72	0.563	165	162	1263	Tracy Egeland	Lost in Round 1
2004-05	Southeast	60	19	38	1	2	41	0.342	149	221	1338	Tracy Egeland	Out of Playoffs
2005-06	Southeast	64	33	25	3	3	72	0.563	204	183	1165	Tracy Egeland	Lost in Round 1
2006-07	Southeast	64	28	28	4	4	64	0.500	185	203	1606	Paul Fixter	Lost in Round 1
2007-08	Southeast	64	16	41	3	4	39	0.305	171	278	1478	Paul Fixter	Out of Playoffs
2008-09	Southeast	64	35	24	3	2	73*	0.586	221	198	1210	Chris Brooks	Lost in Round 2
2009-10	Southern	64	27	27	2	8	64	0.500	193	228	1059	Chris Brooks	Out of Playoffs
2010-11	Berry	66	25	35	3	3	56	0.424	194	232	1244	Chris Brooks	Lost in Round 1
2011-12	Berry	66	32	27	2	5	71	0.538	208	200	1020	Terry Ruskowski	Lost in Round 1

Retired numbers

Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees retired numbers
No.	Player	Position	Career
7	Sean Gillam	D	2003-2006

Franchise leaders

Games Played (Top 5)

PLAYER	GP	G	A	P	PIM	SEASONS	YRS
Aaron Lee	255	97	91	188	235	2008–2012	4
Ryan Shmyr	223	38	35	73	856	2003–2009	4
Billy Newson	221	90	102	192	301	2003–2007	4
Zak McClellan	184	47	80	127	122	2008–2011	3
Darcy Smith	183	6	35	41	345	2003–2006	3

Goals (Top 5)

PLAYER	GP	G	A	P	PIM	SEASONS	YRS
Aaron Lee	255	97	91	188	235	2008–2012	4
Billy Newson	221	90	102	192	301	2003–2007	4
Daymen Rycroft	169	63	75	138	260	2004–2010	3
Jesse Bennefield	114	59	71	130	137	2008–2010	2
Rob Voltera^Tied	127	53	68	121	312	2006–2009	3
Matic Kralj^Tied	180	53	74	127	249	2003–2006	3

Assists (Top 5)

Player	GP	G	A	P	PIM	SEASONS	YRS
Billy Newson	221	90	102	192	301	2003–2007	4
Aaron Lee	255	97	91	188	235	2008–2012	4
Zak McClellan	184	47	80	127	122	2008–2011	3
Dennis Maxwell	139	37	79	116	359	2006–2009	3
Daymen Rycroft	169	63	75	138	260	2004–2010	3

Points (Top 5)

PLAYER	GP	G	A	P	PIM	SEASONS	YRS
Billy Newson	221	90	102	192	301	2003–2007	4
Aaron Lee	255	97	91	188	235	2008–2012	4
Daymen Rycroft	169	63	75	138	260	2004–2010	3
Jesse Bennefield	114	59	71	130	137	2008–2010	2
Matic Kralj^Tied	180	53	74	127	249	2003–2006	3
Zak McClellan^Tied	184	47	80	127	122	2008–2011	3

Penalty Minutes (Top 5)

PLAYER	GP	G	A	P	PIM	SEASONS	YRS
Ryan Shmyr	223	38	35	73	856	2003–2009	4
Dennis Maxwell	139	37	79	116	359	2006–2009	3
Darcy Smith	183	6	35	41	345	2003–2006	3
Brett Clouthier	108	12	13	25	320	2009–2011	2
Rob Voltera	127	53	68	121	312	2006–2009	3

Games Played (Top 5 Goalies)

Player	GP	MIN	W	L	T	SO	GA	GAA	SV	SV%	SEASONS	YRS
Jeff Levy	93	5408	43	41	6	6	236	2.62	2377	0.910	2003–2005	2
Wylie Rogers	86	4775	40	29	11	1	244	3.00	2382	0.910	2008–2012	3
Jeff Van Nynatten	50	2678	15	21	6	1	149	3.34	1372	0.902	2006–2008	2
Juliano Pagliero	49	2785	21	23	3	3	151	3.25	1376	0.901	2010–2011	1
Evan Lindsay	48	2813	25	18	4	3	117	2.50	1376	0.922	2005–2006	1

Wins (Top 5 Goalies)

Player	GP	MIN	W	L	T	SO	GA	GAA	SV	SV%	SEASONS	YRS
Jeff Levy	93	5408	43	41	6	6	236	2.62	2377	0.910	2003–2005	2
Wylie Rogers	86	4775	40	29	11	1	244	3.00	2382	0.910	2008–2012	3
Evan Lindsay	48	2813	25	18	4	3	117	2.50	1376	0.922	2005–2006	1
Juliano Pagliero	49	2785	21	23	3	3	151	3.25	1376	0.901	2010–2011	1
Andy Frank	47	2722	18	18	7	1	148	3.26	1472	0.909	2009–2010	1

Shutouts (Top 5 Goalies)

Player	GP	MIN	W	L	T	SO	GA	GAA	SV	SV%	SEASONS	YRS
Jeff Levy	93	5408	43	41	6	6	236	2.62	2377	0.910	2003–2005	2
Jacque Vezina	38	2090	8	21	5	4	121	3.47	910	0.883	2003–2005	2
Jeremy Symington	35	1944	15	15	4	3	101	3.12	1336	0.902	2007–2008	1
Evan Lindsay	48	2813	25	18	4	3	117	2.50	1376	0.922	2005–2006	1
Juliano Pagliero	49	2785	21	23	3	3	151	3.25	1376	0.901	2010–2011	1

Goals Against Average (Top 5 Goalies)

Player	GP	MIN	W	L	T	SO	GA	GAA	SV	SV%	SEASONS	YRS
Evan Lindsay	48	2813	25	18	4	3	117	2.50	1376	0.922	2005–2006	1
Jeff Levy	93	5408	43	41	6	6	236	2.62	2377	0.910	2003–2005	2
John Murray	36	1959	16	48	0	3	87	2.66	982	0.919	2011-2012	1
Christian Boucher	37	1971	17	14	7	2	95	2.89	1077	0.919	2008–2009	1
Wylie Rogers	86	4775	40	29	11	1	244	3.00	2382	0.910	2008–2012	3

Save Percentage (Top 5 Goalies)

Player	GP	MIN	W	L	T	SO	GA	GAA	SV	SV%	SEASONS	YRS
Evan Lindsay	48	2813	25	18	4	3	117	2.50	1376	0.922	2005–2006	1
John Murray	36	1959	16	48	0	3	87	2.66	982	0.919	2011-2012	1
Christian Boucher	37	1971	17	14	7	2	95	2.89	1077	0.919	2008–2009	1
Jeff Levy	93	5408	43	41	6	6	236	2.62	2377	0.910	2003–2005	2
Wylie Rogers	86	4775	40	29	11	1	244	3.00	2382	0.910	2008–2012	3

Note: GP = Games Played; G = Goals; A = Assists; P = Points; PIM=Penalties in Minutes; MIN = Minutes Played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; SO = Shutouts; GA = Goals Against; GAA = Goals Against Average; SV = Saves; SV% = Save Percentage; SEASONS = What seasons were played with the Bees; YRS = Number of years with the Bees; * = The CHL penalized the Killer Bees by removing two points

Notes

"Ruskowski introduced as Bees coach," Laredo Morning Times, June 29, 2011, p. B1
"Killer Bees hockey team suspends operations amid league woes". ValleyCentral.com. June 20, 2012.
"Wenatchee Wild to relocate NAHL membership to Hidalgo, Texas". Junior Hockey News. May 14, 2013.
"Killer Bees, ice hockey to return to Rio Grande Valley in 2018". The Monitor. March 21, 2018.

External links

NAHL Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees website (former site of the CHL team)

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[1] "Ruskowski introduced as Bees coach," Laredo Morning Times, June 29, 2011, p. B1

[2] "Killer Bees hockey team suspends operations amid league woes". ValleyCentral.com. June 20, 2012.

[3] "Wenatchee Wild to relocate NAHL membership to Hidalgo, Texas". Junior Hockey News. May 14, 2013.

[4] "Killer Bees, ice hockey to return to Rio Grande Valley in 2018". The Monitor. March 21, 2018.