CHL changes hit Bees

HIDALGO - It didn't affect him directly, but Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees general manager Grant Buckborough spent much of the last two weeks monitoring any news about the Corpus Christi Rayz. So when Buckborough heard on Monday that the Rayz were joining fellow Southeast Division-rival Austin in going dark for the 2008-2009 season, he reacted in sadness and frustration.

"It's just, bad news obviously. They've been in the league for 10 years and it's always disappointing to see teams leave," said Buckborough, who is also the Bees' representative on the CHL's board of governors. "Hopefully, if they can regroup and get some local partners involved, they can ice a team next year. I'm sure it's a decision that's been well thought out and they thought they needed to do this."

If the Rayz and Ice Bats, who were widely expected to go dark for next season, do return in 2009, their returns will be welcomed by the Bees. For all five years of the franchise's existence, the Bees had the same three divisional rivals, Now, with both the Rayz and Ice Bats in a holding pattern, the Bees' face an uncertain alignment for the '08-'09 season.

With the departure of Youngstown, which came as something of a surprise, and addition of Rapid City, the CHL will have 15 teams competing next season. If not for the absence of the SteelHounds, the CHL could have realigned into four divisions of four teams. That configuration isn't possible now, leaving the CHL and the Bees guessing about what the league will look like.

One possibility is that the CHL could scrap divisions and divide the teams into two conferences. Or, as it did for the 2005-2006 season, simply have one three-team division.

"We're looking at all scenarios here this week. We would like to get that figured out in the very near future in regards to realignment for the divisions or conferences. Our schedules are not based solely off alignment, but off of geographical rivalries," CHL senior vice president of operations Duane Lewis said. "That will be looked at but more than likely we're going to make some sort of adjustment because of the two teams that were lost in the Southern Conference."

Any adjustments made will increase the amount of travel (and travel expenses) the Bees have to endure. Other than Laredo, which is 124 miles from Hidalgo, the nearest team to the Bees is Odessa at 468. Both Lewis and Buckborough acknowledged just how lucky the Bees were to have three teams within 300 miles.

This season, that luxury will be gone, as will most opportunities to play a home game on Friday then on the road the next day. Instead, the Bees will have to endure more long trips and two and three-game series.

"I don't think it will be that big of an adjustment. Instead of a day trip to Corpus or Austin, we'll be on a road trip for two or three games," Bees forward Rob Voltera said. "I don't think it's going to be a huge problem. It gets us out on the road to do some more team bonding."

Basically, their schedule will look like most other CHL teams, ones that weren't fortunate enough to have three teams so close. Buckborough said that allowed Bees supporters to follow their teams on the road, which helped grow the overall fanbase.

"I think it will affect our fans going to travel Corpus to watch our guys play and support them," Buckborough said. "I think our fanbase got a lot more passionate because they were able to travel to a lot of other markets. That's a lot more difficult now. I don't think you're going to see nearly as many people willing to drive to a Fort Worth or an Odessa as you would an Austin or Corpus Christi."

Brian Sandalow covers the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees for The Monitor. You can reach him at (956) 683-4436.