The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers Season 2 - What We Know So Far

The Mighty Ducks are flying back to the hockey rink for Season 2 of "The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers". The first season of the hockey-centric teen sports dramedy stands as one of Disney+'s more notable success stories, reviving the "Mighty Ducks" family movie franchise of the 1990s and constructing an entertaining tale which centers upon some of the classic stars training the next generation. It's got a similar approach and appeal to "Cobra Kai" and its callbacks to "The Karate Kid," with plenty of fun shenanigans for new, younger fans to get into along with plenty of things only adults will notice about the Mighty Ducks and their misadventures.

Season 2 seeks to build on the strong foundation that the series' debut season laid out, continuing the journey of the newly reformed Mighty Ducks as they contend with a new challenge unlike anything they've faced before. The new season promises plenty of surprises and changes from the previous season, most of which will likely delight fans and a few of which viewers may find slightly deflating. Here's everything we know so far about "The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers" Season 2.

Fans who have watched Season 1 of "The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers" will recall the season's uplifting ending. After Evan Morrow (Brady Noon) and his squad of Don't Bothers successfully trounce the elitist Mighty Ducks in a hockey match, they successfully manage to earn the team's title for themselves, restoring the hockey team's underdog image that fans remember from the original "Mighty Ducks" movies. Of course, any happy ending can't stay completely happy if the show is to go on, and, thus, Season 2 entails the Mighty Ducks being faced with yet another intimidating challenge.

Now on summer vacation and with the Ice Palace rink temporarily out of action, the Ducks enroll in a hockey training camp at the Elite Performance Ice Center. It's here that they encounter Colin Cole (Josh Duhamel), a ruthless hockey director who intends to whip the Ducks into shape with his ultra-intense training methods. With every possible aspect of their athletic standing being tracked by advanced wristbands, the proceedings heat up pretty quickly, as the Ducks once again find themselves as the underdogs in a sea of ultra-talented hockey prodigies. Meanwhile, Evan's mom Alex (Lauren Graham) attempts to keep the team's spirits high and strikes up a playful rivalry with Cole herself. All told, there's a lot happening for the Mighty Ducks this season.

Those who appreciated the Don't Bothers' chemistry in "The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers" Season 1 are in luck, as nearly every member returns for the second installment. Lauren Graham once again coaches the Ducks as Alex Morrow, and all of the major teenage teammates are joining her, including her son Evan (Brady Noon), his crush Sofi Hanson Bhatt (Swayam Bhatia), and his best pal Nick Ganz (Maxwell Simkins). 

The biggest roster shakeup is the departure of Coach Gordon Bombay (Emilio Estevez). Estevez told Deadline he left due to creative differences and a contract dispute. His clarification followed reports that he exited due to disagreements over on-set COVID-19 vaccine requirements, which he denied. "I am not anti-vaxx," Estevez stated.

Estevez's sudden exit makes way for Josh Duhamel, who plays the strict coach Colin Cole. Duhamel told Entertainment Weekly that it's been at least 30 years since he last played hockey, and returning to the ice wasn't easy. "Literally the first day we went out there to skate, after about 20 minutes I skated off the ice, found a garbage can, and just hurled," he revealed. "I couldn't catch my breath." Duhamel added that his body has since adjusted, and he's enjoying the sport again. 

Coach Cole isn't the only new character this season. According to Deadline, the Mighty Ducks will meet some potential friends, including Cole's son Jace (Naveen Paddock), Gertie (Margot Anderson-Song), Fries (Noah Baird), and A.J. Lawrence (Connor DeWolfe).

There's even more good news for those who have been eagerly anticipating "The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers" Season 2, as the very first episode is available to stream on Disney+...right now, actually. The season began on September 28 with its debut episode, titled "Ice Breaker," setting up the new training camp storyline. Following the premiere, Disney+ is set to release episodes of "The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers" on a weekly basis, with one new installment getting added to the service each Wednesday. According to Decider, Season 2 of the fan-favorite hockey series has a total episode count of 10, mirroring the number of entries in the first season. Provided that the series doesn't go on any breaks or take any weeks off, Season 2 will run for the duration of October and November before concluding with the season finale on November 30. 

The first couple episodes of "The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers" Season 2 may already be available to stream on Disney+, but those who haven't jumped into the series yet or are unsure about continuing past Season 1 might still want to see a trailer to get a quick first look. Fortunately, an official trailer debuted in August and is packed with just as many small details as the original "The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers" trailer. 

The trailer features the Ducks getting more than they bargained for when they arrive at EPIC, a hockey summer training camp. They're not the only ones met with a surprise upon arrival though. Camp director Colin Cole, partway through giving a heartfelt speech to a crowd of enthusiastic hockey-playing teens, is shocked to see the legendary Mighty Ducks roll up to the camp in a rustic-looking RV along with some leftover fast food scraps. "These are the Mighty Ducks?" he asks, stunned. Things quickly get action-packed from there, with the trailer showcasing a couple brief glimpses into the many ultra-intense training exercises that Cole puts the Ducks through. Overall, it's a fun first look at the new season that doesn't give away too much of what the next chapter in the Mighty Ducks' adventures will entail.

Season 2 of "The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers" may primarily serve as the continuation of its own first season, but it's also the latest entry in a franchise that goes back decades. Fans that want to maximize their knowledge of the "Mighty Ducks" universe can start by watching the original 1992 film "The Mighty Ducks." The movie showcases the origins many original "Mighty Ducks" characters including Gordon Bombay, a lawyer who finds himself coaching a youth hockey team in order to fulfill community service requirements following a drunk driving arrest. The film received two sequel flicks as well, with the Ducks taking on the international stage as part of Team USA in "D2: The Mighty Ducks" and struggling to adapt to an elite prep school in "D3: The Mighty Ducks." All three of these movies are available to stream on Disney+, right alongside "The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers" Seasons 1 and 2.

Those that are truly dedicated to watching all the "Mighty Ducks" media out there can also take a shot at viewing the franchise's short-lived cartoon "Mighty Ducks: The Animated Series." An extremely loose adaptation of the "Mighty Ducks" story, the show follows a team of hockey-loving anthropomorphic ducks as they get into all sorts of sci-fi shenanigans. Needless to say, it's not really considered canon to the rest of the franchise's entries, but it's still available on Disney+ alongside the rest of the aforementioned "Mighty Ducks" content.