For almost two decades, if you heard a howl echo across the Mississippi Coast Coliseum, it wasn’t the wind off the Gulf — it was Hook, the beloved mascot of the Mississippi Sea Wolves.
With his floppy ears, patch-covered hockey sweater, and a tail that wagged like it had its own personality, Hook was never just a mascot. He was the soul of Biloxi hockey and the face of the Mississippi Coast Coliseum.
Now, as the team prepares to rebrand as the Biloxi Breakers in 2025, Hook is officially retiring — not with sadness, but with a joyful splash, a wave to the crowd, and one final howl into the humid Gulf night. But Hook’s story isn’t just about games and goals. It’s also about storms, survival, and a homegrown comeback that could only happen on the Mississippi Coast.
Hook skated onto the scene in 1996, just as the Sea Wolves were becoming one of the Coast’s most exciting and unexpected attractions in their first year. Hook was a big hit with people on the coast right off the bat.
But in 2005, everything changed.
When Hurricane Katrina ravaged Biloxi, it completely gutted the Coliseum, causing the arena to close its doors for two years forcing the Sea Wolves to suspend operations. The rink was dark. The crowds were gone. And Hook ?
Hook stayed.
While others evacuated and the future of the team hung in uncertainty, Hook refused to leave the coliseum. Hidden away in a supply closet filled, he emerged, rolled up his fur sleeves, and got to work.
For two full years, Hook became the Coliseum’s unofficial janitor, carpenter, and morale officer. By day, he mopped the floors. By night, he patched leaks, painted walls, and sang old arena anthems to the rafters to keep their spirits up. Workers say he used his hockey stick to knock loose debris from the rafters and dragged warped bleacher boards into place with his tail tied like a rope.
When the Sea Wolves finally returned in 2007, fans walked into the restored Coliseum and noticed something magical — the rink didn’t just look new. It felt loved.
That’s because Hook had poured his whole sea wolf heart into it. Though the team folded again in 2009, the legend of Hook grew. During the Sea Wolves’ absence, Hook quietly made his home on Deer Island, the little uninhabited spit of land just offshore from Biloxi Beach. Shrimpers say he built a tiny driftwood shack near the marsh edge, surrounded by washed-up sticks, old pucks, and an old Sea Wolves ‘1999 Kelly Cup Champions’ banner he used as a hammock.
There, Hook became a guardian of the coast. He trained pelicans to play defense. He carved tiny ice rinks in the sand during the winter chill. He hosted bonfire storytelling nights where he shared tales of playoff comebacks and mascot dance-offs under the stars.
He never gave up hope. Every night, he’d look back at the Coliseum lights just waiting until hockey would return.
In 2022, the Sea Wolves finally returned to the ice, reborn in the FPHL. And on opening night, just before the puck dropped, the arena lights dimmed. “Bad to the Bone” blared over the speaker. A spotlight hit center ice… and out skated Hook.
Hook spent the past three seasons delightfully entertaining Sea Wolves fans. Whether it was in the Coliseum or at one of the many community events he would show up at.
Now, after three incredible revival seasons, the franchise is setting sail for a new era as the Biloxi Breakers. With the new name comes a new logo, new look… and a new mascot.
That means Hook is stepping away once more. Hook is heading back to Deer Island. He’ll return there once more — not to hide, but to guard the spirit of Gulf Coast hockey.
As we say goodbye to Hook, we remember what he stood for. He never gave up on Biloxi. He waited through hurricanes, closures, and branding changes, always ready to skate back into our hearts.
He’s more than a mascot. He’s Biloxi’s own shaggy myth.
So next time you’re watching the sunset from the shore, look out toward Deer Island. If you’re lucky, you might just see a tail flick through the dunes… and hear one last echoing howl, carried on the Gulf breeze.
Farewell, Hook. You’ll always be our sea wolf.
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