TEMPE, Ariz. – In a press conference at the State Farm Arena in Hidalgo, Texas on Thursday morning, the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees announced that they will be a participating team in the Central Hockey League for the 2011-12 season. It will mark the ninth season of play for the Killer Bees. 
The team has been purchased by a new ownership group, Hidalgo Sports, LLC. The majority of this group had owned the Killer Bees from the franchise’s inception in 2003 through 2007. “We are very pleased to announce that the ownership group, headed by Joe Sakulenzki, will be the new owners of the Killer Bees,” Duane Lewis, CHL Commissioner said. “With their previous ownership and management of the team we know they are able to hit the ground running, knowing the market and operations of a professional hockey team in the Valley.” The Killer Bees have twice been recognized as the CHL’s Franchise of the Year (2004-05 & 2008-09) and this season finished with the second highest attendance in the Berry Conference (seventh overall with an average attendance of 4,363 fans). “We are very excited to keep hockey in the Valley,” Sakulenzki said. “The Killer Bees are a top level organization and we believe we can create exciting, competitive, and economically sound hockey with this franchise.” Contact comments@prohockeynews.com
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