The Mighty Ducks

This article is about the media franchise. For the first film, see The Mighty Ducks (film). For the animated series, see Mighty Ducks: The Animated Series. For other uses, see Mighty Ducks (disambiguation).

The Mighty Ducks is an American media franchise. It features a trilogy of live-action films released in the 1990s by Walt Disney Pictures and a live-action sequel television series, and a real-world hockey team in the National Hockey League and a animated television series by Walt Disney Television Animation, The movies revolve around a Twin Cities ice hockey team, composed of young players that stick together throughout various challenges. Despite negative reviews from film critics, the trilogy's commercial success paved the way for the franchise's expansion.

The Mighty Ducks
Created by	Steven Brill
Original work	The Mighty Ducks
Owner	The Walt Disney Company
Years	1992–present
Films and television
Film(s)	The Mighty Ducks (1992) D2: The Mighty Ducks (1994) D3: The Mighty Ducks (1996)
Television series	The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers (2021–2022)
Animated series	Mighty Ducks: The Animated Series (1996–1997)
Miscellaneous
Professional ice hockey team	Mighty Ducks of Anaheim (1993–2006)^*
^* Today known as the Anaheim Ducks, which are no longer owned by Disney.

The franchise has various releases in other media, including theme park and hotel attractions.

Film

Film	U.S. release date	Director	Screenwriter(s)	Story by	Producers
The Mighty Ducks	October 2, 1992 (1992-10-02)	Stephen Herek	Steven Brill		Jon Avnet and Jordan Kerner
D2: The Mighty Ducks	March 25, 1994 (1994-03-25)	Sam Weisman
D3: The Mighty Ducks	October 4, 1996 (1996-10-04)	Robert Lieberman	Steven Brill & Jim Burnstein	Kenneth Johnson & Jim Burnstein

The Mighty Ducks (1992)

Main article: The Mighty Ducks (film)

 

The Mighty Ducks film trilogy home release cover art.

After being pulled over for drunk driving, Minneapolis-based attorney Gordon Bombay is sentenced to 500 hours of community service, coaching youth hockey. There he meets the District 5 peewee hockey team perennial losers who finish at the bottom of the league standings year after year. They are shut out every game and lose by at least five goals. The players learn Bombay was once a player for the Hawks and the team in the same league but left hockey because of the embarrassment that followed after a failed attempt at a penalty shot at the end of regulation causing them to lose in overtime costing them a peewee championship. (The only year that the Hawks ever lost.) With the help of Coach Bombay and a desperately needed infusion of cash and equipment from Bombay's law firm, the players learn the fundamentals of the sport. Soon enough the District 5 team now christened the Ducks after Bombay's employer Gerald Ducksworth start winning games and manage to make the playoffs, reaching the finals and adding new player Adam Banks, an ex-Hawk who is a talented player and an asset for the Ducks. Bombay faces the Hawks, the team he grew up playing for still led by Jack Reilly, the same coach Bombay played for. Fittingly, the Ducks win the title game on a penalty shot by Bombay's protege Charlie. The movie was released in the UK, Australia and South Africa as Champions. It was directed by Stephen Herek.

D2: The Mighty Ducks (1994)

Main article: D2: The Mighty Ducks

Inspired by his own players, Bombay decides to try out in the hockey minor leagues and becomes the star player for the fictional Minnehaha Waves, with an easy pathway to the NHL. After a career-ending knee injury, he is offered a chance to coach a team representing the United States in the Junior Goodwill Games. For this, he reunites most of his Ducks(while 5 of them have moved away) and introduces them to five new players from across the country to form Team USA. While they win several early games, the lure of celebrity eventually becomes a distraction to both Bombay and the players, and reality kicks in when they lose against Team Iceland in an embarrassing defeat. Frustrated, Bombay drives his players even harder, yet Team USA continues to suffer, until they come across a street hockey team who teaches them how to play like "the real Team USA". New player Russ Tyler (Kenan Thompson), who earlier heckled Team USA during its matches, is recruited into the roster. Bombay realizes the most important thing is to have fun and after a change in attitude, the Ducks redeem themselves by working up the playoff ladder to meet Team Iceland in the finals. Team USA proves to be a match for Iceland, but the game ends in a tie, resulting in a shootout which - due to fast glove of new goalie Julie Gaffney - Team USA ends up winning the championship. They win the trophy.

D3: The Mighty Ducks (1996)

Main article: D3: The Mighty Ducks

The movie shifts focus from Bombay to protégé Charlie Conway (Joshua Jackson). After their victory at the Junior Goodwill Games, Charlie and his teammates are awarded scholarships to Eden Hall Academy (a fictitious name from crossing Southwestern suburb Eden Prairie, Cretin-Derham Hall, and Saint Thomas Academy), a prestigious Minnesota high school Bombay attended. Their arrival is met with hostility from the varsity team (mainly consisting of players who are members of rich families, whose younger siblings were cut from the junior varsity team to make room for the Ducks), as well as Bombay's hand-picked successor, Ted Orion (Jeffrey Nordling), whose emphasis on defensive two-way hockey irks Charlie. Not wanting to be on a team led by Orion, who he believes to be a washed-up former professional player, Charlie leaves the team, but rejoins as he learns the truth about Orion from Bombay. Charlie and Orion quickly bond in time for the JV-Varsity Showdown, and thanks in large part to the work of Charlie, the Ducks win on a shorthanded goal in the dying seconds of the game from unlikely goal scorer Greg Goldberg (who is converted from goalie to defenseman).

Television

Series	Season	Episodes		Originally released
				First released	Last released	Network
Mighty Ducks: The Animated Series	1	26		September 6, 1996 (1996-09-06)	January 17, 1997 (1997-01-17)	ABC
The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers	1	10		March 26, 2021 (2021-03-26)	May 28, 2021 (2021-05-28)	Disney+
	2	10		September 28, 2022 (2022-09-28)	November 30, 2022 (2022-11-30)

Animation

Main article: Mighty Ducks: The Animated Series

Mighty Ducks: The Animated Series, aired on the American Broadcasting Company for one season consisting of 26 episodes, from 1996-1997. Created in a collaboration between Marty Isenberg, Robert N. Skir, and David Wise, the show ran regularly during The Disney Afternoon block. The series takes place in a futuristic alternate anthropomorphic-universe, and follows the adventures of humanoid-duck superheroes.

The series theme song, written by Carl Swander Johnson, was performed by Mickey Thomas of Jefferson Starship and Starship fame.

Live-action

Main article: The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers

A live-action television series based on the original films was in the early stages of development at ABC Signature Studios, with screenwriter Steven Brill and producer Jordan Kerner being attached to the series.^[1] The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers was released for Disney+ streaming service.^[2]

The plot centers around a 13-year-old boy - whose mother helps him assemble a new team, find a coach and build a rink where they can play - when he gets kicked off the junior division of the Mighty Ducks hockey team. Emilio Estevez reprised his role as Coach Gordon Bombay in the series.^[3][4][5] The series premiered on March 26, 2021,^[6][7] running for 2 seasons.

Main cast and characters

Character
	The Mighty Ducks	D2: The Mighty Ducks	D3: The Mighty Ducks	Mighty Ducks: The Animated Series	The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers
					Season 1	Season 2
	1992	1994	1996	1996 – 1997	2021	2022
Coach Gordon Bombay	Emilio Estevez				Emilio Estevez
Coach Ted Orion			Jeffrey Nordling
Coach Alex Morrow					Lauren Graham
Charlie Conway	Joshua Jackson
Guy Germaine	Garette Ratliff Henson				Garette Ratliff Henson
Connie "the Velvet Hammer" Moreau	Marguerite Moreau				Marguerite Moreau
Fulton Reed	Elden Henson				Elden Henson
Lester Averman	Matt Doherty				Matt Doherty
Greg Goldberg	Shaun Weiss
Adam "Cake Eater" Banks	Vincent Larusso				Vincent Larusso
Terry Hall	Jussie Smollett
Tommy Duncan	Danny Tamberelli
Tammy Duncan	Jane Plank
Dave Karp	Aaron Schwartz
Peter Mark	J.D. Daniels
Jesse Hall	Brandon Quintin Adams
Casey Conway	Heidi Kling		Heidi Kling
Hans	Joss Ackland		Joss Ackland
Jan		Jan Rubeš
Julie "The Cat" Gaffney		Colombe Jacobsen
Dwayne Robertson		Ty O'Neal
Ken "Little Bash Brother" Wu		Justin Wong			Justin Wong
Dean Portman		Aaron Lohr
Luis Mendoza		Mike Vitar
Russell "Russ" Tyler		Kenan Thompson
Wildwing Flashblade				Ian Ziering
Nosedive Flashblade				Steve Mackall
Duke L'Orange				Jeff Bennett
Mallory McMallard				Jennifer Hale
Tanya Vanderflock				April Winchell
Check "Grin" Hardwing				Brad Garrett
Canard Thunderbeak				Townsend Coleman
Evan Morrow					Brady Noon
Nick Ganz					Maxwell Simkins
Sofi Hanson-Bhatt					Swayam Bhatia
Maya Kasper					Taegen Burns
Jordan "Koob" Koobler					Luke Islam
Adib "Sam" Samitar					De'Jon Watts
Lauren Gibby					Bella Higginbotham
Logan LaRue					Kiefer O'Reilly
Daryl "Coach T" Tingman					Dylan Playfair
Stephanie Reddick					Julee Cerda
Colin Cole						Josh Duhamel
Jace Cole						Naveen Paddock

NHL cameos

Each movie showcases a cameo appearance by National Hockey League players:

• The Mighty Ducks - Mike Modano and Basil McRae.
• D2: The Mighty Ducks - Chris Chelios, Cam Neely, Luc Robitaille, and Wayne Gretzky.
• D3: The Mighty Ducks - Paul Kariya; who at that time, had also been captain for the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.
• The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers - Trevor Zegras, Troy Terry, and Max Jones; all three appear in the Season 2 episode, Spirit of the Ducks Part 2.

Cam Fowler; appears in the series finale and gives the Mighty Ducks team the then unreleased Reverse Retro jerseys for their game.

Fictional team roster

The following is the roster of the fictional players for the team.^[8] Provided are their jersey numbers, playing positions and indication of their appearances in movies and television series.

No.	Player	Hometown	Position	D1	D2	D3	GC
00	Guy Germaine	St. Paul, Minnesota	F	Y	Y	Y	Y
1	Terry Hall	Minneapolis	F	Y	N	N	N
2	Tommy Duncan	Minneapolis	D	Y	N	N	N
4	Lester Averman	Brooklyn Park, Minnesota	F	Y	Y	Y	Y
5	Tammy Duncan	Minneapolis	F	Y	N	N	N
6	Julie Gaffney	Bangor, Maine	G	N	Y	Y	N
7	Dwayne Robertson	Austin, Texas	F	N	Y	Y	N
9	Jesse Hall	Minneapolis	F	Y	Y	N	N
11	Dave Karp	Minneapolis	D	Y	N	N	N
16	Ken Wu	San Francisco	F	N	Y	Y	Y
18	Connie Moreau	Minneapolis	F	Y	Y	Y	Y
21	Dean Portman	Chicago	D	N	Y	Y	Y
22	Luis Mendoza	Miami	F	N	Y	Y	N
24	Peter Mark	Minneapolis	D	Y	N	N	N
33	Greg Goldberg	Philadelphia	G/D	Y	Y	Y	N
44	Fulton Reed	Stillwater, Minnesota	D/F	Y	Y	Y	Y
56	Russ Tyler	Los Angeles	D	N	Y	Y	N
96	Team Captain Charlie Conway	Minneapolis	F	Y	Y	Y	N
99	Adam Banks	Edina, Minnesota	F	Y	Y	Y	Y

Additional production and crew details

Film	Crew/Detail
	Composer	Cinematographer	Editor(s)	Production companies	Distributing company	Running time
The Mighty Ducks	David Newman	Thomas Del Ruth	Larry Brock & John F. Link	Walt Disney Pictures, Avnet/Kerner Productions, Touchwood Pacific Partners 1	Buena Vista Pictures Distribution	1hr 44mins
D2: The Mighty Ducks	J. A. C. Redford	Mark Irwin	John F. Link & Eric Sears	Walt Disney Pictures, Avnet/Kerner Productions	Buena Vista Pictures	1hr 46mins
D3: The Mighty Ducks		David Hennings	Patrick Lussier			1hr 44mins

Reception

Box office performance

Film	Box office gross			Box office ranking		Budget	Ref.
	North America	Other territories	Worldwide	All time North America	All time worldwide
The Mighty Ducks	$50,752,337	not available	$50,752,337	#1,702	#2,715	$10,000,000	^[9]^[10]
D2: The Mighty Ducks	$45,604,206	not available	$45,604,206	#1,890	#2,933	not available	^[11]
D3: The Mighty Ducks	$22,936,273	not available	$22,936,273	#3,308	#4,537	not available	^[12]
Total			$119,292,816	x̄ #2,300^[a]	x̄ #3,395

Critical and public response

Film	Rotten Tomatoes	Metacritic	CinemaScore^[13]
The Mighty Ducks	24% (30 reviews)^[14]	46/100 (18 reviews)^[15]	A
D2: The Mighty Ducks	20% (15 reviews)^[16]	—	A
D3: The Mighty Ducks	20% (15 reviews)^[17]	—	A-

Legacy

The Mighty Ducks series has become a cult classic.^[18][19][20] Several professional athletes have expressed their appreciation for the series, with NFL Arizona Cardinals' J.J. Watt and MLB Philadelphia Phillies' Bryce Harper among the trilogy's fans.^[21][22]

NHL team

Further information: Anaheim Ducks

Following the financial success of the first film, the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim hockey team were founded in 1993, by The Walt Disney Company. The franchise was accepted by the NHL in December 1992, with an entrance fee of $50 million.^[23] Additionally, a brand-new arena, Anaheim Arena, was constructed for the team, located a short distance east of Disneyland. The team's name was derived from the first film.^[24] Philadelphia-arena management specialist Tony Tavares was appointed as the team president, while Jack Ferreira, became the Mighty Ducks' general manager.^[24][25]

Ron Wilson was selected to be the first head coach in the team's history.^[26] During the 1993 NHL Entry Draft, the Mighty Ducks drafted as their fourth overall pick Paul Kariya, who would be the face of the franchise for years.^[27] The initial roster had the lowest payroll in the NHL at only $7.9 million.^[28]

Under the leadership of team captain Troy Loney, the team finished the season at 33–46–5, a record-breaking number of wins for an expansion team. The Mighty Ducks sold out 27 of 41 home games and filled the Arrowhead Pond to 98.9% of its season capacity. Licensed merchandise shot to number one in sales among all NHL clubs.^[29] This was aided by the team's merchandise presence in Disney's theme parks and Disney Stores.^[30] The Walt Disney Company sold the franchise in 2005 to Henry and Susan Samueli, who along with then-general manager Brian Burke, changed the name of the team to the Anaheim Ducks before the 2006–07 season. That season, the team won its first Stanley Cup.

Season statistics

Further information: List of Anaheim Ducks seasons

Key of colors and symbols

Color/symbol	Explanation
‡	Conference champions

Year by year listing of all seasons played by the Anaheim Ducks under Disney ownership

NHL Season	Ducks season	Conference	Division	Regular season^[31]^[32]										Postseason
				CF	DF	GP	W	L	T	OT	Pts	GF	GA	GP	W	L	GF	GA	Result
Mighty Ducks of Anaheim
1993–94^[a]	1993–94^[b]	Western	Pacific	9th	4th	84	33	46	5	—	71	229	251	—	—	—	—	—	Did not qualify
1994–95^[c]	1994–95	Western	Pacific	12th	6th	48	16	27	5	—	37	125	164	—	—	—	—	—	Did not qualify
1995–96	1995–96	Western	Pacific	9th	4th	82	35	39	8	—	78	234	247	—	—	—	—	—	Did not qualify
1996–97	1996–97	Western	Pacific	4th	2nd	82	36	33	13	—	85	243	233	11	4	7	25	30	Won Conference Quarterfinals vs. Phoenix Coyotes, 4–3 Lost Conference Semifinals vs. Detroit Red Wings, 0–4^[33]
1997–98	1997–98	Western	Pacific	12th	6th	82	26	43	13	—	65	205	261	—	—	—	—	—	Did not qualify
1998–99	1998–99	Western	Pacific	6th	3rd	82	35	34	13	—	83	215	206	4	0	4	6	17	Lost Conference Quarterfinals vs. Detroit Red Wings, 0–4^[34]
1999–2000	1999–2000	Western	Pacific	9th	5th	82	34	33	12	3^[d]	83	217	227	—	—	—	—	—	Did not qualify
2000–01	2000–01	Western	Pacific	15th	5th	82	25	41	11	5	66	188	245	—	—	—	—	—	Did not qualify
2001–02	2001–02	Western	Pacific	13th	5th	82	29	42	8	3	69	175	198	—	—	—	—	—	Did not qualify
2002–03	2002–03	Western‡	Pacific	7th	2nd	82	40	27	9	6	95	203	193	21	15	6	45	40	Won Conference Quarterfinals vs. Detroit Red Wings, 4–0 Won Conference Semifinals vs. Dallas Stars, 4–2 Won Conference Finals vs. Minnesota Wild, 4–0 Lost Stanley Cup Finals vs. New Jersey Devils, 3–4^[35]
2003–04	2003–04	Western	Pacific	12th	4th	82	29	35	10	8	76	184	213	—	—	—	—	—	Did not qualify
2004–05^[e]	2004–05	Western	Pacific	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	No playoffs due to lockout
2005–06	2005–06	Western	Pacific	6th	3rd	82	43	27	—^[f]	12	98	254	229	16	9	7	46	36	Won Conference Quarterfinals vs. Calgary Flames, 4–3 Won Conference Semifinals vs. Colorado Avalanche, 4–0 Lost Conference Finals vs. Edmonton Oilers, 1–4^[36]

In other media

Video game

An electronic, handheld LCD game titled, Mighty Ducks and based on the animated series of the same name, was released in 1996. The game was developed, created, and released by Tiger Electronics.

Theme park attractions

Mighty Ducks: Pinball Slam

Further information: DisneyQuest

At the now-defunct DisneyQuest locations, Mighty Ducks: Pinball Slam featured as one of the theme park attractions. Opened by Disney Regional Entertainment (which was a subsidiary of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts), the line of limited, smaller-scaled locations included a number of indoor interactive rides and activities. The concept was short-lived and though there were meant to be various locations in numerous cities, the company ultimately opened two locations.

The ride itself allowed the audience to "become" a pinball in a gigantic projected pinball game; by rocking their "duck" back and forth, up to twelve players at a time control their corresponding pinball on the screen, attempting to collect the most points throughout the duration of the ride.

Disney's All-Star Movies Resort

Further information: Disney's All-Star Movies Resort

Disney's All-Star Movies Resort, a "value" resort hotel located at the Walt Disney World Resort, features a Mighty Ducks-themed section and swimming pool.

Podcast

A podcast channel dedicated to the trilogy titled The Quack Attack, has over 200 episodes dedicated to the topic.^[37]

Home media

The trilogy of films were released in a collection set on DVD and Blu-ray on September 2, 2002 and May 23, 2017, respectively.

Notes

1. x̄ represents the calculated average of the three theatrical films.

References

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2. "Disney Planning Another 'Muppets' Reboot for Its Streaming Service (Exclusive)". Hollywood Reporter.
3. Will Thorne (February 13, 2020). "Emilio Estevez to Reprise 'Mighty Ducks' Role for Disney Plus Series". Variety. Retrieved August 15, 2020.
4. Fisher, Jacob (November 6, 2019). "'The Mighty Ducks' Reboot Series In Development At Disney+ (EXCLUSIVE)". DiscussingFilm.
5. Collier Jennings (August 15, 2020). "Mighty Ducks Disney+ Series Gets the Greenlight to Start Production". cbr.com. Retrieved August 15, 2020.
6. Erik Pedersen (January 28, 2021). "'The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers': Teaser & Premiere Date For Disney+ Hockey Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
7. Denise Petski (August 2, 2021). "'The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers' Renewed For Season 2 At Disney+". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 2, 2021.
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12. "D3: The Mighty Ducks (1996) - Financial Information". The Numbers.
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15. "The Mighty Ducks" – via www.metacritic.com.
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17. "D3: The Mighty Ducks (1996)". Rotten Tomatoes.
18. "'Mighty Ducks' Reunion: Hockey Movie's Cast Re-Creates the Flying V, Guy Gets to Kiss Connie". The Hollywood Reporter. September 22, 2014.
19. "Quack, Quack, Quack: An Oral History of the Mighty Ducks Trilogy". June 9, 2014.
20. "Disney: 25 Secrets About The Mighty Ducks That Make Us Quack". TheGamer. April 26, 2018.
21. "Instagram post by JJ Watt • Jun 3, 2014 at 8:47pm UTC". Instagram. Archived from the original on December 23, 2021. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
22. "Instagram post by Bryce Harper • Dec 25, 2015 at 6:58pm UTC". Instagram. Archived from the original on December 23, 2021. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
23. NHL to add teams in Miami, Anaheim Huizenga, Disney high-profile owners October 12, 2013, at the Wayback Machine, The New York Times
24. Disney Hopes 'Ducks' Make a Splash in O.C., Los Angeles Times
25. Norwood, Robyn (October 21, 2004). "Mighty Ducks Hire Ferreira as General Manager". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 1, 2014.
26. "Mighty Ducks fire Ron Wilson as coach". Canoe.ca. May 20, 1997. Archived from the original on June 16, 2013. Retrieved May 1, 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
27. "Former NHL player Paul Kariya announces retirement after post-concussion symptoms". ESPN. June 29, 2011. Retrieved May 1, 2014.
28. Penner, Mike (January 2, 1994). "1993: The Year in Review. The Mighty Ducks Steal the Show: Ducks: Diamond in a Rough Year". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 1, 2014.
29. Norwood, Robyn (August 16, 1996). "THE NHL: Epilogue: The Kings and Mighty Ducks Have at Least One Thing in Common-They Are Two of the 10 Teams That Managed Not to Qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Yet the Assessment of Their Seasons Says a Lot About the Teams-One That Surpasses All Expectations, and Another That Lived Up to None. :MIGHTY DUCKS: They Had to Climb a Matterhorn, but They Were a Real NHL Team". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 1, 2014.
30. Lebowitz, Larry (March 16, 1997). . Sun-Sentinel. Archived from the original on March 5, 2014. Retrieved May 1, 2014.
31. "Anaheim Ducks Statistics and History". The Internet Hockey Database. Retrieved April 30, 2016.
32. "Anaheim Ducks Franchise Index". Hockey-Reference. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved April 30, 2016.
33. "1997 NHL Playoff Summary". Hockey-Reference. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved April 30, 2016.
34. "1999 NHL Playoff Summary". Hockey-Reference. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved April 30, 2016.
35. "2003 NHL Playoff Summary". Hockey-Reference. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved April 30, 2016.
36. "2006 NHL Playoff Summary". Hockey-Reference. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved April 30, 2016.
37. "The Quack Attack Podcast - The definitive Mighty Ducks podcast". The Quack Attack Podcast. Retrieved March 25, 2017.