'The Mighty Ducks' to air on NHL Network with bonus features

It's time to celebrate the birthday of the movie that influenced the newest crop of the NHL's stars.

From Connor McDavid to Taylor Hall to Johnny Gaudreau and many, many more, "The Mighty Ducks," the 1992 surprise smash hit featuring a ragtag team of youth hockey players who come together to win it all, turns 25 years old on Monday.
But it's not just the League's top players that have noticed. NHL Network has too.
In honor of the silver anniversary (the movie's original release date was Oct. 2) of the Disney flick, NHLN will air the movie for the first time, bookended by two special features that include interviews with NHL players and those involved with the making of the movie.
"I love it. It's kind of the hockey movie we all grew up on," said McDavid, the Edmonton Oilers captain and 2016-17 Hart Trophy winner.

Just how much of an impact did the movie have? Washington Capitals forward T.J. Oshie estimates that he has watched it 25-30 times and said he will stop and watch it to this day if he comes across it while channel-surfing. Arizona Coyotes forward Max Domi references "The Flying V," the signature play from the film, with reverence.
Screenwriter Steven Brill, actors Vincent LaRusso (Adam Banks) and Matt Doherty (Les Averman), and former Disney CEO Michael Eisner also are part of the exclusive features, sharing some of their best behind-the-scenes stories, including how the actors' limited skating ability was quite similar to that of the team at the start of the film.
Eisner also talks about the birth of the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, now called the Anaheim Ducks, and how the name of the NHL expansion team, which entered the League in 1993-94, came about.
You can catch the NHL Network premiere of "The Mighty Ducks" and the bonus material Monday at 8 p.m. ET.