Movie Zeros to Real Life Heroes: Disney's Anaheim Ducks

Often, stories found in the world of fiction are basedThe Mighty Ducks team instantly appealed to young
on reality, rather than the other way round. But the realfans of both hockey and the Mighty Duck movies,
life story of Disney's Mighty Ducks ice hockey teamproving the perfect opportunity for merchandising, with
strangely mirrors its fictional counterpart.many toys, logos and characters already in existence.
In 1992, the Walt Disney Company released the first ofThe real life Duck's team mascot, "Wild Wing", is taken
a live action trilogy: "The Mighty Ducks". The filmsfrom a character in the Mighty Ducks cartoon series;
followed the misadventures of an ice hockey teamhe is the leader of the Ducks gang, both on and off
composed of perennial losers who finish at the bottomthe ice and plays as goal keeper in the cartoon team
of their league year after year, before a new coachand regularly appears at the real life games.
arrives, who inevitably leads the team to victoriousDisney kept hold of the Ducks for 12 years, but in
glory.2005 sold the franchise for $75 million. In 2006, the
Despite the predictable plots, the trilogy's commercialteam were rebranded from the "Mighty Ducks of
success led to Disney founding a real life ice hockeyAnaheim" to simply the "Anaheim Ducks" and have
team, based in Anaheim, California. Many hockeycontinued to play a high standard of hockey, reaching
purists cringed at the idea of a team being founded bythe pinnacle of the game this year by winning the
Disney Corp and named after a kids' movie but, unlikehighly converted Stanley Cup in June 2007.
its fictional namesake, the strength of the teamThe Anaheim Ducks are based in Orange Country,
surprised fans and the Ducks had an excellent firstCalifornia, and play their home games at the Honda
season, proving them to be more than just a movieCenter. Fans of the Ducks wishing to see the Stanley
spin off.Cup champions can chose from a number of hotels in
Disney later went on to make a further two MightyAnaheim and, with Disneyland not for away, fans of
Ducks films: "D2: The Mighty Ducks" (1994) and "D3:the Mighty Ducks carton series can visit the 'Mighty
The Mighty Ducks" (1996) as well as 26 episodes ofDucks Pinball Slam', an attraction based on the cartoon.
an animated series called "Mighty Ducks" that wereIt's impossible to tell what the future will bring to the
loosely based on the films and the real life hockeyAnaheim Ducks, but the story of this ice hockey team
team.just goes to show that real life based on fiction, can be
The founding of a real life team based on anstranger than fiction itself.
established fictional concept was marketing genius.