Gordon Bombay

Gordon Bombay in the Ice Palace

**Gordon Bombay**, nicknamed the **Minnesota Miracle Man**, is a retired hockey coach from Minneapolis, Minnesota. He is the manager of an ice rink known as the Ice Palace. He rose to fame as the coach for the Mighty Ducks in 1992 and Team USA in 1994. He later served as the assistant coach of the Don't Bothers in 2021, although was later promoted to head coach after the original coach - Alex Morrow - was sacked.

Gordon was originally a youth hockey player for the Hawks in the 1970s. The Hawks were considered a powerhouse team as they held a consistent winning streak. In 1973, Gordon botched a penalty shot, which left the Hawks with their first defeat in decades. He left the team shortly thereafter and abandoned his potentional as a hockey player to become practice law. By the early 1990s, he had become a lawyer for the Ducksworth Law Firm. He had a very successful legal career, winning thirty cases and losing just one.

In 1992, Gordon was fired from the Ducksworth Law Firm after being sentenced to community service for driving under intoxication. As part of his community service, he was forced to become the coach for the District Five pee wee team. Although it was a struggle, he ultimately turned the underdog team into a powerhouse, rebranding it as the Mighty Ducks. The Mighty Ducks became Minnesota youth hockey champions, inflicting the Hawks' their first defeat since 1973. The Hawks never recovered from this defeat, devolving into a backwater team by 2021.

In 1994, Gordon was recruited by Junior Goodwill Games to serve as the coach for Team USA in an international youth hockey competition. Many of the Team USA players came from the 1992 Mighty Ducks, although various additions were added. Team USA dominated the games up until a 12-1 defeat at the hands of Team Iceland. Gordon was able to get the team back on track, however, and managed to defeat Iceland in a decisive final rematch.

In 1996, Gordon stepped away from coaching youth hockey to pursue an official job with the Junior Goodwill Games. His closest friend, Hans, passed away shortly thereafter. Hans left Gordon the Ice Palace in his will. In the 2000s, Gordon returned to coaching hockey for Saint Paul State. This pursuit ended after he broke recruitment rules and was banned from coaching Minnesota hockey in 2011. He entered a state of severe depression and tried to erase hockey from his life, isolating himself to the Ice palace.

In 2021, Alex Morrow discovered the Ice Palace while searching for an ice rink to make the home rink for the Don't Bothers. Gordon agreed to let Alex use the Ice Palace in exchange for a large payment of cash. While he was initially reluctant to get involved with the Don't Bothers, he later came around to help them win games as the assistant coach to Alex. However, Alex became hellbent on winning games and was sacked from her position by a unamious decision of the players. Gordon was forced to step up as the coach for the Don't Bothers, carrying them to second place in the 2021 season.

After the 2021 season, the Don't Bothers won the right to become the new Mighty Ducks. The Ice Palace remained as the home rink of the Mighty Ducks, albeit very briefly. Gordon was forced to shut the rink down due to health and safety concerns. He returned to privacy and isolation after this.

## Biography

### Early life

Gordon Bombay was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1960. He grew up during a time when the Hawks were a dominant youth hockey team in southeastern Minnesota. In 1967, he joined the Hawks and was taught how to play hockey by their coach, Jack Reilly. He was one of the greatest players on the team for six years. In the 1973 season, he was selected to shoot a winning penalty shot in the final match. He triple deked the goalkeeper but missed the goal by a centimeter, hitting the post. Jack was really frustrated with Gordon as a result. He ultimately quit playing hockey after that.

### Legal career

After leaving hockey behind, Gordon went on to pursue a legal career. He graduated from college with a degree in law and was hired as a lawyer by the Ducksworth Law Firm, headed by Gerald Ducksworth. By 1992, Gordon had won 29 cases and lost only one. He won his thirtieth case in 1992, however he used unfair legal exploits to achieve his victory. This was considered reprehensible by many of his colleagues. That night, he was arrested for drinking under the influence of alcohol. He was sent to court and sentenced to community service. The Ducksworth Law Firm suspended his position as a lawyer, however assured him that he would be reinstated once his community service was completed.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 *D2: The Mighty Ducks.*
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Game On", episode 1.
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 *The Mighty Ducks*.
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Spirit of the Ducks," episode 7.
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Head Games," episode 9.
6. ↑ "Cherry Picker", episode 5.
7. ↑ "Head Games," episode 9.
8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 "State of Play," episode 10.
9. ↑ "Ice Breaker," episode 11.