BEHIND THE SCENES

HIDALGO — As bad as the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees have been at times this season, there are stories beyond the poor record. And Terry Tychon, an independent documentary filmmaker based in Los Angeles, is filming them.

Tychon has been around the Bees since mid-January, shooting footage for a film about the team he hopes will be finished by September. He has been behind the RGV bench at the majority of their games since, and he has also been privy to other places, such as the team bus and dressing room. A project which originally was supposed to take six weeks to shoot will certainly take longer, most likely through the end of the season.

The film will focus, in part, about how hockey can succeed so close to the Mexican border. When Tychon, a native Canadian, first saw a Bees game last season with his brother, he was surprised at how much support the team receives, considering its location.

“I was so impressed with the fans. They weren’t a group of Winter Texans. These were people of local Mexican-American, Latin, Hispanic culture. They loved this game, they got this game,” Tychon said. “And, to me, it was like hockey has transitioned borders. If hockey can be rooted in the local population in a place like South Texas, then there really are no limits. These aren’t people who grew up with ice rinks, skating or cold weather. And they love the sport like it’s been here all along.”

That, however, was just the original draw for Tychon. Since he’s been around the team, the Bees have slumped to last place in the CHL. Players such as Jon Hedberg and Tyler Fuller have been sent away, while the franchise has added renowned fighter Robin Big Snake and itinerant goalie A.J. Bucchino to the roster.

Each move, along with each loss, is a potential story line. As is each player, whether it’s one gutting through an injury or trying to deal with all of the losing.

That’s why, as Tychon stresses, he still isn’t completely sure about how the story will be told. Or, which aspects of the story.

“I sort of contained my expectations as much as possible. Having a bit of a journalism background, I didn’t want to come into this with the idea of, I know where this story’s going. A great friend of mine, and journalist, said to me, ‘The hardest thing to do, is to let the story lead you.’ I took those words and I ran with it,” Tychon said. “I was going to come down here, I was going to be imbedded with a hockey team and see where it leads me, see what happens. Follow them through the good times and the bad. And, there have been a lot of bad times - the team is in last place now.

“It’s not your classic sports story, where, ‘Hey look at us. We won, we’re the champions. We won the trophy, we’re No. 1, and look at us struggle past everyone to get to the top,” Tychon added. “These are guys that are struggling and they’re at the bottom, yet they’re still playing with as much heart.”

While the film was not commissioned by the Bees, the team did have to approve the project. Tychon said the team did eagerly, but didn’t know too much about what Tychon would be looking for.

Bees general manager Grant Buckborough, who was one of the people who had to approve the project, sounded eager to see the completed film.

“It’s an honor. I think it’s a unique story. A lot of it he hasn’t conveyed to us, what angle he’s going with. So, it’s going to be interesting to see the finished product when it’s all said and done, whenever that is. It’s been pretty cool,” Buckborough said.

“It’s not only good for the hockey team, I think it’s going to be good for sports in general down in the Rio Grande Valley, showing how this area is growing, and how unique of a spot it is culturally. It definitely, at the end of the day, is going to be great exposure for our hockey club and our franchise and our league in general.”

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