Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees (NAHL)

The Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees were a Tier II Junior A ice hockey team playing in the North American 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.

For the defunct CHL team of the same name, see Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees (CHL). For the USACHL team of the same name, see Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees (USACHL).
Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees
CityHidalgo, Texas
LeagueNAHL
DivisionSouth
Founded2008
Home arenaState Farm Arena
ColorsBlack, teal, gold
Owner(s)Hidalgo Sports, LLC
Head coachJoe Coombs
CaptainAnthony Croston
Franchise history
2008–2013Wenatchee Wild
2013–2015Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees
2015–2017Aston Rebels
2017–2018Philadelphia Rebels
2018–presentJamestown Rebels
Championships
Regular season titlesNone
Division ChampionshipsNone
Conference ChampionshipsNone

History

The original team was a member of the Central Hockey League, a professional minor league, from 2003 to 2012. 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.[1]

After a season without a team, the Wenatchee Wild of the North American Hockey League (NAHL), a Tier II Junior A hockey league, relocated to Hidalgo, Texas and became the second incarnation of the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees.[2] Joe Coombs would be hired as the first head coach of the NAHL Killer Bees.

On June 1, 2015, NAHL insiders began reporting the Killer Bees franchise was about to relocate to the Philadelphia suburb of Aston, Pennsylvania[3] and the Killer Bees would subsequently announce that the team was ceasing to operate for the 2015–16 season unless the team president, Gilbert Saenz, could find a local alternative to save the team. However, on June 9, the NAHL announced that the franchise was relocating to become the Aston Rebels.[4]

In 2018, another junior level Killer Bees team was announced as part of the USA Central Hockey League starting in October 2018, but the entire league folded after six weeks of operation.[5]

Season-by-season records
SeasonGPWLOTLPtsPctGFGAPIMFinishPlayoffs
2013–146035187770.64215012111053rd of 7, SouthLost Div. Semifinals, 0-3 vs. Topeka RoadRunners
2014–1560252510600.50015318412906th of 8, SouthLost South Play-In Series, 0-2 vs. Wichita Falls Wildcats

Notes
  1. "Killer Bees hockey team suspends operations amid league woes". ValleyCentral.com. June 20, 2012.
  2. "Wenatchee Wild to relocate NAHL membership to Hidalgo, Texas". Junior Hockey News. May 14, 2013.
  3. "THE DEATH POOL – GOODBYE RIO GRANDE HELLO ASTON PENNSYLVANIA". The Junior Hockey News. June 1, 2015.
  4. "NAHL announces relocation of Rio Grande Valley to Aston, PA". NAHL. June 9, 2015.
  5. "Killer Bees, ice hockey to return to Rio Grande Valley in 2018". The Monitor. March 21, 2018.
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