Plenty of sports movies laud the underdogs — the teams that defy the odds, the uncoordinated who become a master of their sport, the mismatched coach and kids. The Mighty Ducks trilogy has all of those things wrapped up in a charming package.
Released by Disney in the '90s and now on Disney+, The Mighty Ducks and its sequels follow a team of kids who didn't initially have a coach that cared about their desire to play hockey. Disney+ is gearing up for a television series reboot, with Emilio Estevez reprising his Coach Bombay role.
10 "A TEAM ISN'T A BUNCH OF KIDS OUT TO WIN; A TEAM IS SOMETHING YOU BELONG TO, SOMETHING YOU FEEL, SOMETHING YOU HAVE TO EARN."
It takes Gordon Bombay nearly half the first movie to figure this out. When he discovers Mr. Ducksworth is willing to sell Gordon out for the Hawks to stay happy, he makes a decision.
Gordon understands the family that comes from being a team — even if he's an adult among a group of preteens. He no longer wants to cheat his way to a positive outcome, and he realizes he can't make other adults understand how important team camaraderie is.
9 "YOU CAME 2,000 MILES TO MAKE FUN OF ME? YOU COULD HAVE DONE THAT OVER THE PHONE."
While the kids of the movies tend to alternate between being all-play-and-no-work and wanting to buckle down and win, it's really Gordon who often gets caught up in the glitz and glamour of professional sports.
He could be busy wheeling and dealing, completely changing his approach to coaching without realizing it. In D2: The Mighty Ducks, that's what happens. He has to be brought down to earth by his team and by Jan, who helped make his hockey dreams come true as a kid. Gordon always seems to need a little push to make sure he goes in the right direction.
8 "YOU'RE NOT A HAS-BEEN. YOU'RE A NEVER WAS."
Though the kids face a lot of antagonists over the movies, the original villain — Coach Reilly of the Hawks — is the worst. He is all about winning, and he doesn't care if he destroys the dreams of kids to do it.
His insults hold a lot of venom, like this one aimed at Gordon concerning his hockey career. At this point in the first movie, Gordon has embraced the kids and his coaching, but it still stings that he never went pro himself, so Reilly's words hit him especially hard.
7 "I HATE TIES. THEY'RE LIKE KISSING YOUR BROTHER."
Julie isn't a part of the team in the first movie, but introduced as "The Cat" in D2. Initially, she doesn't get to do much other than compete with Goldberg for a goalie spot. It's not until D3 that fans get to see a bit more of her personality.
When the varsity goalie at their fancy new prep school wants to call them even, she declines. Julie knows her worth on and off the ice, and she isn't about to declare an imaginary level playing field when the game isn't over.
6 "AND WHEN THE WIND BLOWS HARD AND THE SKY IS BLACK — DUCKS FLY TOGETHER!"
There's a point in every Mighty Ducks movie where the team finds themselves at a crossroads, fighting among themselves or with the authority figures around them. In the second movie, a divide between the team and Bombay as well as the pressure of performing on a world stage gets to them.
Luckily, they have their tutor in their corner. She helps remind them what it's like to be kids, and not just hockey players. She also reminds them of the importance of being united in the face of the difficulties they're facing.
5 "TO THINK I WASTED ALL THESE YEARS WORRYING ABOUT WHAT YOU THOUGHT."
When the Ducks and Hawks go head to head in the first film, it's not just a tense stand-off for the kids, but a clash of ideologies between the coaches. Gordon realizes that Reilly's philosophy of winning — and needing to win big — is one that doesn't make the game fun for the kids. It also tends to turn the kids into bullies.
Gordon finally gets the chance to tell Reilly that it doesn't matter whether or not he thinks he's a great hockey player anymore. This quote is a cathartic moment for both the character and the audience.
4 "A QUARTER OF AN INCH THE OTHER WAY AND YOU WOULD HAVE MISSED COMPLETELY."
When the team learns that Gordon Bombay played is a former Hawk, most of them are ready to cut ties with him completely. Charlie, however, is not. He listens to Gordon's story of missing a goal by just a smidge during a championship game.
Gordon laments the loss by so little, but Charlie sees the silver lining. Gordon got to play in a game and came so close to making the winning shot that he should be proud of his achievement.
3 "I'M NO LADY. I'M A DUCK!"
There are never more than two girls on the team at a time. Tammy leaves after the first movie and Julie comes on board, but Connie is there throughout all three movies.
Though she's often seen as just Guy's love interest, she's also a fierce hockey player who is incredibly loyal to her teammates. She appreciates it when Dwayne stands up for her in D2, but she proves on her own that she's as strong of a player as the boys.
2 "YOU CANNOT BE AFRAID TO LOSE. THAT'S HOW YOU GAIN THE CONFIDENCE TO ATTACK THE PUCK WHEN THE GAME ISN'T YOURS."
D3 might not be a favorite among fans, but it does feature this nugget of wisdom. The Ducks spend the first movie learning how to win, but they gain the confidence of winners quickly, forgetting what it means to really take risks on the ice.
Coach Orion spends a lot of time teaching the team not only defense, but humility. He helps them learn what it means to go all out in a game, not just try to get the puck in the net, and it makes the team better people outside of the rink as well.
1 "QUACK, QUACK, QUACK!"
The quacking might seem nonsensical to some, and it likely got on the nerves of parents watching the movies with their kids in the '90s, but the sound made for the team a unifying force.
When the kids fight in the first movie but come together to quack at their principal, they realize they're all on the same side. Gordon quacks his way out of a job when he realizes profits are always going to be more important than people. The quacking is a reminder of where the kids come from and what they mean to one another as the movies continue.
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