The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers

***The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers*** is the spiritual sequel to the *Mighty Ducks film trilogy*. The series follows Evan Morrow and his mom, Alex as they go out and create a new team to join the league after Evan is kicked off the Mighty Ducks. It premiered on Disney+ on March 26, 2021 and ended on November 2022.

## Synopsis

Now a hockey powerhouse, the Mighty Ducks junior team is selective about who makes the roster. After being cut and told he is wasting his time, 12-year-old Evan Morrow, at the urging of his mother, forms a new team of underdogs with the help of original Ducks coach, Gordon Bombay, who has since become the despondent owner of a low level ice rink.

## Cast

### Main Cast

* Lauren Graham as Alex Morrow
* Brady Noon as Evan Morrow
* Maxwell Simkins as Nick Ganz
* Swayam Bhatia as Sofi Hanson-Bhatt
* Julee Cerda as Stephanie Reddick (season 1)
* Luke Islam as Jaden Koobler
* Bella Higginbotham as Lauren Gibby (season 1)
* Taegen Burns as Maya Kasper
* Kiefer O'Reilly as Logan LaRue (season 1)
* De'Jon Watts as Adib Samitar
* Emilio Estevez as Gordon Bombay (season 1)
* Naveen Paddock as Jace Cole (season 2)
* Josh Duhamel as Colin Cole (season 2)

### Recurring Cast

* Dylan Playfair as Daryl "Coach T" Tingman
* Em Haine as Winnie Berigan
* Lia Frankland as Mary Joe (season 1)
* Forrest Rozitis as Tibor Capek (season 1)
* Zenon Brownas Havel Capek (season 1)
* Amy Goodmurphy as Paula Ganz
* Jane Stanton as Sherri Andrews
* Stephnie Weir as Marni (season 2)
* Connor DeWolfe as A.J. Lawrence (season 2)
* Timm Sharp as Coach Toby (season 2)
* Tiffany Denise Hobbs as Coach Jackie (season 2)
* Rich Eisen as himself (season 2)
* Margot Anderson-Song as Gertie Willins (season 2)
* Noah Baird as Cody "Fries" Lawrence (season 2)
* Jaden Micah Wolfe as Franklin (season 2)
* Joelle Better as Rambo Tate (season 2)

### Special guest stars

* Matt Doherty as Lester Averman
* Elden Henson as Fulton Reed
* Garette Henson as Guy Germaine
* Vincent LaRusso as Adam Banks
* Marguerite Moreau as Connie Moreau
* Justin Wong as Ken Wu
* Aaron Lohr as Dean Portman

## Production

### Development

By 2018, Steve Brill and Jordan Kerner, who respectively served as writer and producer for the 1992 film *The Mighty Ducks*, pitched to ABC Signature head Tracy Underwood an idea for a TV series based on the film, which was approved for development.

On January 22, 2018, it was reported that a half-hour *The Mighty Ducks* TV series was being developed by ABC Signature Studios, with Brill set to write and executive-produce the series. The series was being shopped to several networks and streaming services by the studio. On November 8, 2018, it was reported that the series will be released on Disney's streaming service, Disney+. On November 6, 2019, it was reported that Josh Goldsmith, Cathy Yuspa, George Heller, and Brad Petrigala will co-executive-produce the series alongside Brill. On February 12, 2020, Goldsmith and Yuspa were revealed to be serving a co-creators and showrunners for the series, while Kerner and James Griffiths were revealed to be co-executive-producing the series, with star Lauren Graham also being credited as co-executive producer. On August 2, 2021, Disney+ renewed the series for a second season. On February 17, 2023, Disney+ cancelled the series after two seasons.

### Casting

In February 2020, Lauren Graham and Brady Noon were cast in the series as the lead roles, with Emilio Estevez returning to reprise his role as Gordon Bombay, in addition to executive producing, as well as directing an episode. Swayam Bhatia, Taegen Burns, Julee Cerda, Bella Higginbotham, Luke Islam, Kiefer O'Reilly, Maxwell Simkins, De'Jon Watts were also cast in undisclosed roles. On March 18, 2021, it was reported that Elden Henson, Matt Doherty, Vincent LaRusso, Marguerite Moreau, Garette Henson, and Justin Wong would reprise their roles from *The Mighty Ducks* films for the sixth episode of the series. In November 2021, it was reported that Estevez's season 2 option would not be picked up due to creative differences and a contract dispute; in addition, main cast members O'Reilly and Higginbotham would not return. On January 24, 2022, Josh Duhamel was cast in a starring role for the second season. On March 25, 2022, Naveen Paddock joined the cast as a new series regular while Margot Anderson-Song, Noah Baird, Stephnie Weir, Connor DeWolfe, Timm Sharp, and Tiffany Denise Hobbs joined the cast in recurring roles.

### Filming

Filming for *The Mighty Ducks* was scheduled to begin on February 18, 2020, and end on June 11, 2020. Filming took place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. James Griffiths served as a director for the series. In August 2020, it was announced that filming could officially begin after Disney TV Studios made a deal with British Columbia unions about testing the cast and crew members for the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Filming officially resumed in September 2020 and concluded on December 17, 2020. Filming for the second season is scheduled to begin in early 2022.

### Promotion

In March 2021, ahead of the series premiere, and along with the NHL’s return to ESPN, Disney+ and ESPN collaborated on a *30 for 30* promotional featurette in partnership with Cheerios entitled *The Legend of the Flying V* on the championship game between the original Ducks and the Hawks, shown in the climactic scene of *The Mighty Ducks*. Among those who provide commentary are Don't Bothers members Sofi, Evan, Nick, Koob, Maya and Lauren along with original Ducks Fulton, Lester, and Connie – all played by their original actors ahead of their return in *Game Changers* – United States women's hockey forward and Olympic gold medalist Meghan Duggan, retired NHL forward and TNT hockey analyst Anson Carter and ESPN hockey analysts and *SportsCenter* anchors Linda Cohn, John Buccigross and Steve Levy.

## Release

*The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers* was released on Disney+ on March 26, 2021. The second season was released on September 28, 2022.

The series made its linear premiere on Freeform on January 1, 2023.

## Reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, the series holds an approval rating of 87% based on 39 critic reviews, with an average rating of 6.8/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "*Game Changers* doesn't quite flip the puck, but it has enough heart and good humor to make *The Mighty Ducks* proud." On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 72 out of 100 based on 16 critic reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews."

Caroline Framke of *Variety* said *Game Changers* manages to be a solid follow-up, stating the series manages to provide a sharp update to a timeless story without relying too much on nostalgia, and praised the performance of the actors. Robert Daniels of *Polygon* applauded the humor of the series, claiming it offers a hysterical critique of present-day youth sports, and stated it manages to be a light-hearted family-friendly show. Joel Keller of *Decider* wrote that Lauren Graham represents the best asset of the show, praised the performances of the cast members, and complimented the writing, saying the dialogues are sharp and entertaining. Daniel Fienberg of *The Hollywood Reporter* praised the performances of the actors, complimented the series for its inclusive messaging, and found it sincere and emotional at times, despite calling the narrative flaccid. Ashley Moulton of *Common Sense Media* rated the series 3 out of 5 stars, complimented the depiction of positive messages, stating the show promotes perseverance and positivity, and found agreeable the presence of role models, citing the gender and racial diversity across the main cast.

## Videos

Date Announce - The Mighty Ducks- Game Changers - Disney+The Mighty Ducks- Game Changers - Official Trailer - Disney+The Mighty Ducks- Game Changers Season 2 - Official Trailer - Disney+
## Gallery

TeaserSeason 1 posterSeason 2 posterThe Mighty Ducks Game Changers - Evan the Captain.jpegThe Mighty Ducks Game Changers - Nick the Podcaster.jpegThe Mighty Ducks Game Changers - Sofi the Ringer.jpegThe Mighty Ducks Game Changers - Koob the Gamer.jpegThe Mighty Ducks Game Changers - Logan the Hair.jpegThe Mighty Ducks Game Changers - Maya the Popular Girl.jpegThe Mighty Ducks Game Changers - Lauren the Warrior Princess.jpegThe Mighty Ducks Game Changers - Sam the Daredevil.jpegThe Mighty Ducks Game Changers - Alex Morrow.jpegThe Mighty Ducks Game Changers - Gordon Bombay.jpegThe Mighty Ducks Game Changers - Evan Morrow.jpegThe Mighty Ducks Game Changers - Nick.jpegThe Mighty Ducks Game Changers - Sofi Hudson-Batra.jpegThe Mighty Ducks Game Changers - Koob.jpegThe Mighty Ducks Game Changers - Logan.jpegThe Mighty Ducks Game Changers - Maya.jpegThe Mighty Ducks Game Changers - Lauren Gibby.jpegThe Mighty Ducks Game Changers - Sam.jpegThe Mighty Ducks Game Changers - Stephanie Reddick.jpeg
## Trivia

* *The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers* is the first live action production in 25 years of the franchise.
	+ During that span, the real life Mighty Ducks of Anaheim (renamed the Anaheim Ducks in 2006–07) would appear in 14 playoff years, win 6 division titles and 2 Stanley Cup Finals, winning 1 championship in 2007.
* Of the original Mighty Ducks to make special guest appearances, Charlie Conway, Greg Goldberg, Jesse Hall, Julie Gaffney, Dwayne Robertson, Luis Mendoza, and Russ Tyler (save for a photo cameo), are the only former players not to appear in any of the 2 seasons.

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Pearson, Ben (November 6, 2019). 'Mighty Ducks' TV Series Details Revealed: Here's What the Disney+ Series is About.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Goldberg, Lesley (February 12, 2020). Lauren Graham to Star in 'The Mighty Ducks' TV Series for Disney+.
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; no text was provided for refs named `Estevez`
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Goldberg, Lesley (January 22, 2018). 'Mighty Ducks' TV Series in the Works (Exclusive).
5. ↑ Pearson, Ben (November 8, 2018). Disney's Streaming Service is Called Disney+, Here's How It Will Be Different From Netflix.
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Hatchett, Keisha (August 2, 2021). Mighty Ducks: Game Changers Renewed for Season 2 at Disney+.
7. ↑ Hatchett, Keisha (February 17, 2023). *The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers* Cancelled at Disney+ After 2 Seasons.
8. ↑ Marc, Christopher (November 8, 2020). EXCLUSIVE: Emilio Estevez To Direct An Episode of 'The Mighty Ducks' Series For Disney+.
9. ↑ Template:Cite magazine
10. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (November 8, 2021). Emilio Estevez Speaks Out About His 'Mighty Ducks: Game Changers' Exit, Reveals Long-Haul Covid.
11. ↑ Petski, Denise (January 24, 2022). Josh Duhamel To Star In 'The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers' Season 2.
12. ↑ Petski, Denise (March 25, 2022). 'The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers': Naveen Paddock Joins As New Series Regular For Season 2, 6 More Cast.
13. ↑ Plana, Vincent (February 5, 2020). Disney Plus' The Mighty Ducks TV series to begin filming in BC this month.
14. ↑ Marc, Christopher (January 11, 2020). EXCLUSIVE: 'The Mighty Ducks' Disney+ Series Adds 'Cuban Fury' Director James Griffiths.
15. ↑ Template:Cite news
16. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (September 2, 2020). 'The Good Doctor', 'A Million Little Things', 'Big Sky' & 'The Mighty Ducks' Among Series That Have Started Production In Vancouver.
17. ↑ Template:Cite news
18. ↑ *30 for 30*: The Legend of the Flying V. Disney+/ESPN (March 21, 2019).
19. ↑ Pedersen, Erik (January 28, 2021). 'The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers': Teaser & Premiere Date For Disney+ Hockey Series.
20. ↑ Petski, Denise (August 3, 2022). 'The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers' Gets Season 2 Premiere Date On Disney+.
21. ↑ 'The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers' Season 1 to Air on FreeForm (December 29, 2022).
22. ↑ Template:Cite Rotten TomatoesTemplate:Cbignore
23. ↑ Template:Cite MetacriticTemplate:Cbignore
24. ↑ Framke, Caroline (2021-03-25). 'The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers' Makes For a Smart, Surprisingly Sweet Cannibalization of Disney IP: TV Review (en-US).
25. ↑ Daniels, Robert (2021-03-26). Under the nostalgia, the new Mighty Ducks has a sharp message (en-US).
26. ↑ Stream It Or Skip It: 'The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers' On Disney+, Where Lauren Graham Starts A New Youth Hockey Team With Emilio Estevez's Help (en-US) (2021-03-27).
27. ↑ Fienberg, Daniel (2021-03-25). 'The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers': TV Review (en-US).
28. ↑ The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers TV Review | Common Sense Media (en).
29. ↑ Cordero, Rosy (2021-07-20). ReFrame Gives 117 Shows Gender-Balance Seal of Approval Including 'Pose,' 'Bridgerton,' 'WandaVision,' More (en-US).
30. ↑ Pedersen, Erik (2021-11-22). Artios Awards: Casting Society Sets Nominations For TV, Theater, Shorts & Shortform Series (en-US).
31. ↑ Denise Petski (January 31, 2023). Nate Burleson & Charli D'Amelio To Host Nickelodeon's Kids' Choice Awards; *Stranger Things* Leads 2023 Nominations — Full List.