The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers will not take the ice again after the American sports comedy-drama gets canceled after two seasons by Disney+. It’s one of two shows to be axed by Disney+ on Friday along with the John Stamos-led Big Shot, via Collider.
The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers is a continuation of the 1990s movie franchise about a youth hockey team. Game Changers was announced for second season in 2021 , despite low ratings on the first season. After the surprising exit of Peter Rice from Disney, the former Chairman of Disney General Entertainment Content, this past June, a source at the company cited the decision to renew Big Shot and The Mighty Ducks after their first seasons as examples of Rice’s “questionable deal-making.”, via The Wall Street Journal.
The second season was released this past November. The series was said to carry the feel of the original films the series was based on. The first season featured the return of Emilio Estevez (The Breakfast Club, Bobby) as Gordon Bombay and saw Brady Noon’s (Good Boys. Boardwalk Empire) character, Evan, and his mother Alex played by Lauren Graham (Gilmore Girls) create a new team of underdogs to challenge an exclusive Mighty Ducks team that had lost its way. This series captured audiences support with its mix of heart and humor, leading the show to earn a Certified Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes with an 87% score from critics.
The second season did not feature Emilio Estevez as he did not comply with the Covid-19 protocols set in place for production. Josh Duhamel (Life as We Know It, Love, Simon) was added to the cast instead, as well as Naveen Paddock (Anything’s Possible). The two actors played a father and son working on their relationship while facing the hardships that came with playing hockey.
This cancellation is just another show that has unfortunately hit the cutting room floor in the age of cost-cutting measures by streaming services.
All episodes of The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers can be streamed on Disney+.