Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees (NAHL)


 * This article is about the defunct NAHL Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees NAHL franchise. For the original CHL franchise of same name, see: Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees (CHL).

The Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees are a Tier II Junior A ice hockey team playing in the North American Hockey League. The team is based in the Rio Grande Valley in Hidalgo, Texas, just south of McAllen, and play their home games at State Farm Arena.

History
The original team was a member of the Central Hockey League, a professional minor league, from 2003–2012. 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 related to the folding of fellow Texas CHL teams in Laredo, Corpus Christi ]], and Austin.

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. Joe Coombs would be hired as the first head coach the NAHL Killer Bees.

On the afternon of June 1, 2015 The Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees Twitter page posted the following: "Barring a last minute save this afternoon will mark the final day of operation for the NAHL RGV Killer Bees. Thanks to one and ALL!!". The website thejuniorhockeynews.com posted a story stating that the team was on its way to Aston, PA, which is the present home of the Eastern Hockey League's Philadelphia Little Flyers organization. The team was later saved in a tweet early evening on June 5th stated that the Killer Bees will be back. This was only a temporary reprieve as the team did relocate to Aston and took the name Aston Rebels.

Retired numbers
*Note: Number carried over from CHL franchise