In my not-at-all humble opinion, the original Mighty Ducks movies were born in the era of kid movie perfection. That’s not me throwing shade to all the new films coming out, but the ‘90s were undeniably the most iconic era for inspirational movies that still stand up today.
When you mention The Mighty Ducks to just about any ‘90s kid, you’ll probably be met with a barrage of loving nostalgia. The way Coach Bombay (without competition, Emilio Estevez’s most iconic role) turned his back on a high-flying career as a lawyer to coach kids ice hockey? Goldberg sucking at skating but still being a loveable member of the team? A baby Joshua Jackson in his pre-Dawson’s Creek years?
It’s a franchise that gives so much, and that was before Estevez (and a heap of the original cast) made a comeback in the recently released reboot series, The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers, which is now streaming on Disney+.*
When Coach Orion told the JV team that “it’s easy to be confident when they have control of the puck, but it’s very, very difficult to keep that confidence when you’ve got to take the strange bounces life throws your way”? Told them they cannot be afraid to lose? I felt that. But it’s just one of the many lessons that I and apparently half the PEDESTRIAN.TV office feel deeply in our souls, even today.
Here are some of our biggest takeaways from The Mighty Ducks that we still proudly live by today. Once you’re done here, we wholeheartedly recommend you fire up Disney+ and take notes on Bombay’s latest batch of life lessons and coaching tips in the reboot.
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BIG QUACK: Emilio Estevez Returns As Coach Bombay In The Mighty Ducks Reboot Trailer“As a kid, I could never understand why Charlie gave up his spot on the team (in D2: The Mighty Ducks) to Russ when Adam‘s wrist got better. Why didn’t Charlie want the glory? Well, young Josie, this was Charlie teaching you there’s no I in TEAM. He didn’t need to be out on the ice to share the victory, because the victory was the entire team’s, not each individual player’s. Sometimes the best wins aren’t selfish, they’re about lifting up other people, and finding value in your peers’ achievements — not just your own. A huge life lesson for me as a 10-year-old.” — Josie.
“The reason I know the difference between Iceland and Greenland is because of D2: The Mighty Ducks. Greenland is full of ice. And Iceland is very nice.” — Cam.
“When Coach Bombay describes how he missed his little league penalty, he rues the fact that he hit the post by saying “A quarter of an inch, Charlie — A quarter of an inch and we would have won”. Then Charlie casually replied, “Yeah, but, A quarter of an inch the other way and you would have missed it completely”. I guess the lesson I take away is one of perspective. You can spend your life thinking about what you missed, or you can look at things for what they are — and sometimes, if you do this . . . they’re not so bad.” — Eamon.
“As a kid who was always on the losing/eternally last placed soccer/touch football/basketball team in school, the most valuable lesson Mighty Ducks ever taught me was that having a passion for what you’re doing is more important than anything else. Whether you’re losing, or taking longer than others to get to a certain goal or destination, having a genuine love for what you’re striving for and surrounding yourself with a great team is the most integral element of success and happiness.” — Bianca.
“The Mighty Ducks taught me that it’s never too late to face up to previous failures. The last thing Coach Bombay wanted to do was return to the sport that had humiliated him years ago, but through coaching the Mighty Ducks he came to see his past failure in an entirely new light. I also loved that Charlie won the game on a penalty shot because it felt like Bombay was getting to relive his own moment through him. A real redemption shot. It taught me that you can always reframe things from your past in a positive new light, which is such an important life lesson.” — Lucy.
“It has to be the most iconic line from D2: The Mighty Ducks (or the entire franchise): DUCKS FLY TOGETHER. Truly, it taught the true meaning of friendship, of working alongside your team, your friends, your family. Not giving up not just because you might want to but sticking it out because that’s the important part of being in a team.” — Julie.
“My life lesson learned from The Mighty Ducks is pretty basic: girls are just as good as boys. Sport movies were always for the boys growing up and and seeing Connie Moreau (played by Marguerite Moreau) not only skate alongside the guys, but actually kick some butt on the ice was just *chef’s kiss*.” — Ange.
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FAQs
I saw The Mighty Ducks for the first time at a hockey summer camp. It inspired me and my love for hockey grew. This sports comedy always provided great lessons on sportsmanship, perseverance, redemption and accepting a loss just as much as a win. The story is about Bombay, a lawyer who only cares about winning.
What happened to Bombay in Mighty Ducks? ›
Bombay would later drift away from the Mighty Ducks as they began to become a team that only cared about winning under leadership of Coach T. He claimed it was hard to let the Ducks ago. Bombay did move on to run a college program for hockey students.
What is the message of Mighty Ducks? ›
Values in The Mighty Ducks that you could reinforce with your children are teamwork, cooperation, friendship, persistence and trust.
Why is Coach Bombay sentenced to community service in The Mighty Ducks? ›
Gordon Bombay (Emilio Estevez) is a successful but arrogant Minneapolis defense attorney. After his 30th successful case, he celebrates by going out drinking, but is arrested for drunk driving and sentenced to 500 hours of community service by coaching the local "District 5" Pee-Wee hockey team.
Is Mighty Ducks Based on a true story? ›
While The Mighty Ducks captures the spirit of underdog sports teams and the transformative power of coaching, it is not directly based on a true story. However, the film's premise draws inspiration from the real experiences of people involved in youth sports and the positive impact it can have on young athletes.
How does Mighty Ducks 3 end? ›
With seconds left in the game, Charlie is on a breakaway, but in a surprise move passes the puck back to Goldberg, who scores into a wide-open net as time expires, securing a 1-0 victory for the Ducks. Following the victory, Charlie embraces Orion and spots Bombay who has attended the game.
Why was Bombay Duck banned? ›
At one time, 13 tonnes (13 long tons; 14 short tons) of Bombay duck were eaten in the UK each year. Following the discovery of a batch of imported seafood contaminated by Salmonella in 1996, the European Commission (EC) prohibited fish imports from India other than from approved freezing and canning factories.
Why isn t Coach Bombay in season 2? ›
It was previously confirmed that Estevez, 60, would not be reprising his role as Bombay, now the owner of the Ice Palace, in "The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers" due to what has been described as a contract dispute.
Why is Coach Bombay not in season 2? ›
Estevez, who played hockey coach Gordon Bombay, said he felt Game Changers "didn't pay the proper homage to the movies. The fans were the first ones to tell us that. That is really the reason why I didn't return for the second season."
How did The Mighty Ducks end? ›
The movie ends with Bombay boarding a bus headed to a minor-league tryout. Although he seems daunted at the prospect of going up against younger players, he receives the same words of encouragement and advice from the Ducks he had given them, promising he will return next season to defend their title.
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.
Is there swearing in The Mighty Ducks? ›
Frequent uses of "hell", "damn", "ass" and "God/Oh my God, etc". "Bastard" and "bitch" even make an appearance. Other non-profanity words "idiot", "pissed", "sucks" are thrown in.
Who is the bad coach in The Mighty Ducks? ›
Coach Jack Reilly is the main antagonist of the 1992 hockey film, The Mighty Ducks. He's the head coach of the Hawks. When Gordon Bombay was a child, he played for the Hawks, whereupon he was coached by Reilly.
Who is Gordon Bombay's love interest? ›
Casey Conway is the mother of Charlie Conway, a minor protagonist in the Mighty Ducks trilogy and Gordon Bombay's love interest in the first film. She is played by Heidi Kling.
Who couldn't stop in The Mighty Ducks? ›
Luis is the team's fastest skater, having been clocked 1.9 seconds from blue line to blue line. Unfortunately, Luis has trouble stopping, which causes humorous collisions in the games.
What life lessons and moral takeaways can you discern from the movie The Mighty Ducks? ›
He didn't need to be out on the ice to share the victory, because the victory was the entire team's, not each individual player's. Sometimes the best wins aren't selfish, they're about lifting up other people, and finding value in your peers' achievements — not just your own.
Why did The Mighty Ducks become the Ducks? ›
Founded in 1993, the then-called Mighty Ducks of Anaheim were directly named for The Mighty Ducks movies. When The Walt Disney Company, which produced the movies and owned the NHL team, sold the team in 2005, the name was shortened to Anaheim Ducks.
What is The Mighty Ducks symbol? ›
After briefly considering Condors and Bears, the club ultimately decided to keep the heritage of the team in their identity, removing the Mighty and going forward with the name Anaheim Ducks. A new colour scheme of orange, black, and bronze accompanied the new logo, a D in the shape of a webbed foot.
Who did The Mighty Ducks become? ›
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.
