Ted Orion is the JV Hockey coach at Eden Hall Academy. He only appears in D3: The Mighty Ducks and is played by Jeffrey Nordling.
Before Eden Hall[]
Ted Orion played in the NHL for the Minnesota North Stars while carring for his family. It is unclear how long he played for the team, but eventually when the team is moved to Dallas, Texas, he chooses to leave hockey to care for his family, particularly his paraplegic daughter. His daughter was injured in a car accident where another vehicle hit the side of the car she was on, thus leaving her paralyzed from the waist down in a wheelchair. At some point, he was offered to coach the JV team at Eden Hall Academy.
Eden Hall and D3[]
When the Ducks arrive at Eden Hall, rumors circulate among the members saying he punched out his coach and was thus ejected from the team and various others. Once they start practice, he enters when the team is warming up by having Dwayne trying to lasso them, just like in D2, very displeased with their childish antics. Because he is to-the-point with his demands and shows little sympathy like Coach Bombay did in training, the group takes an instant dislike to him. They begin to resent him even more when he casts aside many of their traditions including their Duck jerseys by Jan, their group chanting "Quack" before a game, and forbids them to use signature moves like the Flying V, saying that their "little Duck tricks aren't going to cut it here." He believes that in order to win a game, it requires work and will in a 2 way communication between players, instead of it only being about scoring goals.
Charlie takes an instant dislike to Coach Orion, much like he did when Coach Bombay began running the team. He accuses Coach Orion of being a slave driver and taking the fun out of hockey, especially when Orion strips him of his "C" for captain on his jersey. Later, when Coach Bombay brings Charlie to the rink early in the morning, he witnesses Coach Orion privately skating with his daughter and sharing a brief moment of quiet happiness. This makes Charlie understand that despite Orion's tough exterior, he is a good guy at heart, which makes him reconsider joining the team.
Coach Orion stands up for the Ducks when Dean Buckley climbs on the bus to announce that the board is planning to revoke the scholarships of the Ducks. Buckley tries to convince Orion to drop the Ducks and adopt a new team of better players, which results in him threatening to quit. After seeing his loyalty to the Ducks, the team begins responding more positively to his tactics and strategies which makes them better hockey players. In return, he brings back the Duck jerseys and the pre-game "Quack" chant which boosts the team's spirits.
Trivia[]
- It is currently unknown what his status in the TV series is. It's possible he could still be coaching other teams at Eden Hall. However, it is unlikely that his character will return since Jeffrey Nordling was not asked to appear.
