Mississippi Sea Wolves

Mississippi Sea Wolves
CityBiloxi, Mississippi
LeagueECHL
DivisionContinental
Founded1996
Operated1996–2009
Home arenaMississippi Coast Coliseum
ColorsRed, blue, and white
     
Websitemississippiseawolves.com
Championships
Regular season titles2002–03
Division titles2002–03
Kelly Cups1998–99

The Mississippi Sea Wolves were a professional hockey team based in Biloxi, Mississippi, and play in the Mississippi Coast Coliseum. The Sea Wolves were members of the ECHL.

The Sea Wolves were founded in 1996 and had considerable success over their 10 seasons in the ECHL. They reached the playoffs in five of their first seven years and a league championship in 1999, when they defeated the Richmond Renegades in a best-of-seven series to claim the Kelly Cup.

Damages from Hurricane Katrina to the Mississippi Coast Coliseum forced the team to suspend operations for the 2005–06 and 2006–07 seasons under the ECHL's hardship provisions. Hurricane Katrina resulted in extensive damage to the team’s home arena, including flood damage to team offices, locker rooms, ice-making equipment, and two Zambonis. During the 2006–07 ECHL All-Star Game, the league officially confirmed the Sea Wolves would return in 2007–08.[1]

On March 30, 2009, the Sea Wolves announced that the organization would be suspending operations again for the 2009–10 season, but a little more than a month later the team's management announced that professional hockey would continue to be played on the Mississippi Gulf Coast in the form of the Mississippi Surge in the Southern Professional Hockey League. The Surge played at the Coast Coliseum from the 2009–10 season through 2013–14.[2]

In 2021, the Federal Prospects Hockey League hosted three neutral site games in Biloxi. Biloxi Pro Hockey sold 20,163 tickets in the month of December and an announcement was made on December 30 that a new Sea Wolves team would return in 2022.[3] The new team began play in the 2022–23 FPHL season.

History

League champions Division champions Playoff berth
ECHL
Season Division Regular season Statistics Postseason results Coach
W L T OTL SOL Pts Pct. GF GA PIM
1996–97 South 34 26 10 78 .557 241 245 2082 Lost First Round, 0–3 vs. Birmingham Bruce Boudreau
1997–98 Southwest 34 27 9 77 .550 225 224 1909 did not qualify Bruce Boudreau
1998–99 Southwest 41 22 7 89 .636 251 215 1357 Won Conf. Quarterfinals, 3–0 vs. South Carolina
Won Conf. Semifinals, 3–0 vs. Florida
Won Conf. Finals, 4–1 vs. Pee Dee
Won Kelly Cup, 4–3 vs. Richmond
Bruce Boudreau
1999–00 Southwest 35 27 8 78 .557 241 221 1773 Won Wildcard, 2–1 vs. Pensacola
Lost Conf. Quarterfinals, 1–3 vs. Louisiana
Marc Potvin
2000–01 Southwest 34 33 5 73 .507 221 218 1310 did not qualify Al Pedersen
2001–02 Southwest 41 26 5 87 .604 251 232 1706 Won Div. Semifinals, 3–0 vs. Pensacola
Won Div. Finals, 3–0 vs. Jackson
Lost Conf. Finals, 1–3 vs. Greenville
Bob Woods
2002–03 Southwest 44 24 4 92 .639 250 211 2159 Won Div. Semifinals, 3–0 vs. Pensacola
Lost Div. Finals, 0–3 vs. Louisiana
Bob Woods
2003–04 Central 45 20 7 97 .674 256 200 1632 Lost Div. Semifinals, 2–3 vs. Gwinnett Bob Woods
2004–05 South 39 24 4 5 87 .604 223 215 1372 Lost Conf. Quarterfinals, 1–3 vs. Gwinnett Bob Woods
2005–06 Inactive due to arena damages from Hurricane Katrina
2006–07
2007–08 South 29 40 1 2 61 .424 204 262 1462 Lost First Round, 1–3 vs. Texas Steffon Walby
2008–09 South 28 35 7 1 64 .451 203 256 1242 did not qualify Steffon Walby

References

  1. ^ "The ECHL officially announces the Sea Wolves return". ECHL. January 22, 2007. Archived from the original on February 28, 2008. Retrieved February 28, 2008.
  2. ^ "SOUTHERN PROFESSIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE COMES TO THE COAST". Southern Professional Hockey League. May 7, 2009. Retrieved May 11, 2009. [dead link]
  3. ^ "Professional hockey team returning full-time to Biloxi". supertalk.fm. January 3, 2022.
Preceded by Kelly Cup Champions
1998–99
Succeeded by