"State of Play" is the tenth episode of the Disney+ Original Series The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers, and the tenth episode of the series overall. It was released on Disney+ on May 28, 2021.
Synopsis[]
It all comes down to this: The Minnesota State Championships. The Don't Bothers are playing the best hockey of their lives, but the Mighty Ducks aren't skipping a beat either. As both teams move up on opposite sides of the bracket board, they seem to be on a collision course with each other. But when a key player goes down with an injury, the Don't Bothers are forced to choose what matters more: winning on the ice, or off it.
Plot[]
The Don't Bothers arrive at the state championships, their final games of the season; they are in awe at the sheer size of the facility they have been given the opportunity to play at, but Coach Bombay assures them that this facility is the same as the Ice Palace. They will be fine. As the first game begins, the Don't Bothers get off to a good start and Sofi scores a goal and they are able to proceed to the next round. The Don't Bothers continue to win as the championships advance, but are followed closely by their biggest rivals: the Ducks.
The Don't Bothers manage to win their quarter final game, putting them in the semi-finals. Bombay tells them that if they win the semi-final, they will go head-to-head with the Ducks, who have managed to win their semi-final already. Meanwhile, Sofi's parents congratulate her, whilst Evan notices that Koob lacks parental support, feeling sorry for him.
Later that night, Alex and Bombay sit at the rink, quietly reflecting on the previous games that day. The two share solace in the idea that Alex brought them to the state championships; the two laugh at Alex's feelings of failure when they first began. Alex explains how the Ice Palace came onto her radar, and Bombay remarks that good things happen to good people, therefore it was meant to be. Alex thanks Bombay, citing that hockey has inspired her to go back to law school, and Bombay remarks that she would be a great lawyer.
The following day, the Don't Bothers win their semi-final game, putting them head-to-head with the Ducks. Sofi hurts her knee during the process, however, but refuses to admit that she is hurt. As their game against the Ducks begins, Evan tells Sofi not to play, given her knee. Sofi remarks that she cannot sit out, given the team would be disqualified; there is a 10-player minimum. Sofi is looked over by the medic at the tournament and is given the green light to continue with the match. She is warned, however, that any further damage to the knee during the game could lead to irreversible damage.
Sofi is furious with Evan for telling the coaches about her injury, and tries to tell the team that she is good to play. Nonetheless, she remarks that she doesn't want to be responsible for the Don't Bothers losing the game. With this, Evan remarks that he will sit out of the game, therefore being responsible for the loss instead. Following this, each member of the team follows suit, and the Don't Bothers lose the game due to lack of participation. The Ducks are awarded the championship by default.
The Ducks are angry about the match, but happy that they won. With this, Alex explains that their win wasn't earned, there will always be a catch. Alex challenges the Ducks to a game at the Ice Palace the following day: if they lose, the Don't Bothers get their name, if they win, the Don't Bothers drop out of the league.
As the game begins the following day, the teams both play well, with the Ducks managing to get a slight advancement on the Don't Bothers. After a speech by Sofi and other members of the team, Bombay gives the team the jerseys of the original Mighty Ducks. In the third period, the Don't Bothers manage to score numerous goals against the Ducks, capped off with the Flying V as time expires, thereby making them the winners. Stephanie steps into the rink following a tantrum by Coach T, and officially gives the name "the Mighty Ducks" back to Bombay. As the night fades, Bombay replaces the graphic on the ice of the Ice Palace, which now calls the Ice Palace the new home of the Ducks.
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
- Luke Islam as Jaden Koobler
- Bella Higginbotham as Lauren Gibby
- Taegen Burns as Maya Kasper
- Kiefer O'Reilly as Logan LaRue
- De'Jon Watts as Sam
- Forrest Rozitis as Tibor Capek
- Zenon Brown as Havel Capek
- Emilio Estevez as Gordon Bombay
Trivia[]
- The Ducks win their state championship game by default when the Don't Bothers refuse to play.
- With the loss of their game against the Don't Bothers, Coach Bombay is given the Mighty Ducks name back, making the Ice Palace the official home of the Ducks.
Gallery[]
