Edinger a picture of Bees’ troubles

HIDALGO — Perhaps no player personifies the disappointment of the first half of the season like former forward Adam Edinger, who the Bees waived Friday.

Signed in October to fill one of the Bees’ veterans slots, Edinger only managed four goals and four assists in 25 games. Two seasons ago for Motor City of the United Hockey League, Edinger scored 51 goals.

The day before he was waived, Edinger missed the Bees’ first practice after the Christmas holiday. Bees coach Paul Fixter didn’t sound happy with Edinger that day and didn’t sound much more pleased in a statement released about Edinger’s departure Friday.

“We gave Adam an opportunity with this organization, and it didn’t work out,” Fixter said. “As with any other veteran player we expect more. We have a certain level of expectations to be met, and no one is exempt from that.”

That is something Bees Al-Star forward Travis Banga sounds like he understands.

“That’s hockey. The coaches were in a position to make a move, and that’s the move they decided to make. I wish him the best,” Banga said. “That’s hockey. Nobody’s ever safe. There could be a lot more changes by the end of the year.”

And would that surprise Banga?

“It really wouldn’t. All of us have to dig down deep. We’re all playing for our jobs,” Banga said. “Right now, if we’re not going to win it’s our fault. If we start playing for our jobs, then we’ve got to start playing a lot harder.”

On Monday, Edinger signed with the Southwest Division-leading Arizona Sundogs. During his first game, Edinger recorded one goal and a -1 plus/minus ratio.

By signing in Arizona, Edinger gained 19 points and five places in the standings. The Bees (8-15-5) enter the new year in seventh place in the South, six points behind the Corpus Christi Rayz for the final playoff spot.

Bag man

During the closing minutes of Friday night’s 6-3 loss to the Rayz, a Bees fan chose a familiar way to show his frustration with the team’s play.

Mark Evans, a season-ticket holder since the Bees’ first season, wore a bag over his head late in the third period. Sitting behind the Bees’ goal and next to the walkway from the rink to the home locker room, Evans said he hoped the Bees would notice him, after what was then a six-game winless streak which has grown to eight.

“This is worse than Year 2,” Evans said, comparing this season to the 2004-2005 season, the only one in Bees history that didn’t end in the playoffs. “This is to show the team that we’re not happy.”

Evans added he didn’t make a point of showing the Bees his new headwear other than standing up when they walked past him, but sounded sure the team noticed the green and red bag over his head.

“Especially, I wanted Fixter to see it,” Evans said.

Fixter, however, said he didn’t see it, adding he “doesn’t look at the fans during games.”

Neither, apparently, do his players. After saying he didn’t see Evans wearing the bag over his head, forward Nick Warriner didn’t sound like he approved of Evans’ fashion statement.

“When I’m on the bench, my focus is on playing the game. I really don’t care what some fan has to say or what antics they’re going to bring to the arena,” Warriner said. “We’re in the entertainment business. They can come and do what they want to do, but that’s the least of my concerns about somebody doing something in the crowd.

“That has no reflection on my mind at all. The fans pay their money to come here and watch, everyone’s entitled to their own opinion. If I were to worry about what everybody in this building thought, I’d be a basket case,” Warriner added. “I’ve got to worry about my own self. I think that’s the key in this room. Everybody’s got to worry about what they have to do. I really don’t care what 5,000 people in this arena think. I care about the 20 people in this room and the two people in that office over there.”

Up next

The Bees play three games this weekend, with the first two at Dodge Arena against last year’s President’s Cup finalists.

On Friday, the Bees play host to the Laredo Bucks, last year’s Southern Conference champion and run-away leader of the Southeast Division. The Bucks defeated the Bees 6-2 in a late game Monday at Laredo.

Then Saturday, the defending CHL champion Colorado Eagles visit Hidalgo. Through Tuesday, the Eagles (16-8-4) are four points behind the Rocky Mountain Rage in the Northwest Division.

To finish the weekend, the Bees head to Corpus Christi on Sunday to face the Rayz.

Brian Sandalow covers the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees for The Monitor. You can reach him at (956) 683-4436. For this and more local stories, visit www.themonitor.com.