New York Rangers: Matching Mighty Ducks Movie Characters
Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
In the most important article in Blue Line Station history, we take a look at which New York Rangers would be which Mighty Ducks characters.
The Mighty Ducks was a popular hockey trilogy in the 1990’s. The New York Rangers are a popular hockey team today. As the Rangers continue to play this season, there has been a question weighing on my mind.
Which Rangers are which Mighty Ducks characters? Who is the Rangers’ own Charlie Conway? Who is Adam Banks, the newbie from a different district? And which Ranger could possibly be Fulton Reed?
All of these questions will be answered in the upcoming slides, as we look at which Rangers are which Mighty Ducks. Disclaimer: not every Duck is covered, and not every Ranger is covered due to lack of unique skills. We get to most of them, though! Stick tap to Cinemablend for rankings of the Might Ducks and summaries of each player’s strengths and weaknesses.
Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports
Jesse Mendoza- Michael Grabner
Let’s start off with the easiest of the Rangers to place. Michael Grabner is absolutely Jesse Mendoza, even if Grabner does boast superior scoring skills. According to Cinemablend, here are the pros for Mendoza:
Pros: Lightning fast skater, hard worker
Sound like Grabner? Of course, Mendoza goes on to be criticized for his inability to stop on breakaway, but that can easily be likened to Grabner’s inability to score on breakaways prior to this season. Speed can be a blessing or a curse, and both Mendoza and Grabner have gone through the best of the best and the worst of the worst.
The speed is the factor that pairs these two together so clearly.
Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports
Dave Karp- Marc Staal
This was a tough one to place, as Karp is clearly the weak link on the Mighty Ducks roster. He brings few skills to the table and plenty of problems, so placing any Ranger in his shoes is a slight on that Ranger.
Unfortunately, someone has to match, and we find this to be the best spot for Marc Staal. A look at Karp’s cons:
Cons: Easily terrified, not a strong skater, poor conditioning.
Like Karp, Staal is constantly injured, often appears scared on the ice, and is not a strong skater. It’s disappointing considering Staal used to be one of the stronger members of the Rangers defense, but now he is a liability. Now he is Dave Karp.
Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
Ken Wu- Mats Zuccarello
While Ken Wu is ranked the 14th best Mighty Duck by CinemaBlend, we want to zero in on the similarities between Wu and Zuccarello rather than their skill levels. Zuccarello is a top five Ranger, but he carries many of the same attributes and history that Wu does.
Among the lines from CinemaBlend on Wu:
Pros: Excellent skater, nimble, a little anger inside, Olympic experience
He seems to enjoy the fact that he’s an unofficial bash brother, but that distinction is more of a joke than anything else.
Mats Zuccarello is the last of a dying breed of tiny players looking to wreak havoc on larger players. Zuccarello is an excellent skater with Olympic experience, but also is constantly looking to defend his teammates and get inside opponents heads. It can be funny to watch, but to Zuccarello it is a serious matter. Thus, Zuccarello is Wu.
Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports
Connie Moreau- Jesper Fast, Guy Germaine- Brady Skjei
First, let us apologize for failing to match anyone to Lester Averman. Simply put, Averman is too zany and too disinterested in hockey to compare to any current Ranger. Perhaps last year’s Kevin Hayes….(we joke!)
Moreau’s talent lies not in your typical hockey skill, but rather in intangibles and the ability to do the little things. This reminds us most of Jesper Fast, who has found himself playing in the top six at times mainly because Alain Vigneault trusts him.
Both Moreau and Fast earned their respective coaches trust by playing clean, smart hockey, and being prototypical team players. Moreau and Fast can be counted on to win battles in the corners, stand up for their teammates, and avoid making the mental mistakes that plague plenty of other players.
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Neither are flashy, neither should be the go to guy (or girl) on a penalty shot, but both belong on their teams thanks to their hard work and complementary value.
Germaine is often found with Moreau, and he matches best with Brady Skjei because they are both strong on the puck, can find the open lanes, and have the hearts of the fans. We’ll leave that up for your interpretation.
Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports
Dean Portman and Fulton Reed- Kevin Klein and Chris Kreider
The Bash Brothers were the most difficult members of the Mighty Ducks to place, but we feel Kevin Klein and Chris Kreider represent the pair the best.
Of course Kreider is not a defenseman, but his big body being used to throw down opponents puts him in line with Reed. Additionally, Kreider takes plenty of dumb penalties and will never be known as the smartest guy on the ice, so we believe this comparison can stick.
As for Reed’s partner in crime, Kevin Klein matches best with Dean Portman. Besides the fact that Klein looks like a Bash Brother, his pros mesh well with Portman’s pros.
Pros: Great size, not intimidated by anyone, good slap shot
This year Klein has not shown the same abilities, but let’s rewind for a second. Doesn’t Klein look like a Bash Brother?
Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports
Dwayne Robertson- Pavel Buchnevich
This may be our favorite comparison to make. It’s the easiest pairing, and the two are essentially twins.
Robertson’s pros and cons:
Pros: Amazing puckhandling skills, very good skater, can flip the puck really high
Cons: Showboat, lacks aggression, carries a lasso with him during games
Pavel Buchnevich’s puckhandling skills are unparalleled, he is an elite skater, he has shown the tendency to be a showboater, he does not have a big body to play with much aggression, and well, he doesn’t carry a lasso around with him, but if it was allowed he likely would.
Buchnevich’s skills are off the charts, even if he does lack some of the NHL knowledge at this point in his career. He’s a jokester in the locker-room, and he may make you facepalm sometimes. When push comes to shove, however, he’s a guy you love to watch play, much like Robertson.
Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
Greg Goldberg- Dan Girardi
We apologize to Dan Girardi for this one, but at the same time Goldberg did come up clutch many times, so it is not a complete insult.
Goldberg is the joke of the Mighty Ducks, clearly not having enough talent to play at their level. Still, he is often put in the game instead of far superior players, much like Dan Girardi.
Via CinemaBlend on Goldberg:
Cons: Sometimes scared of the puck, easily intimidated, might be moving to Philadelphia, not overly flexible…..He’s prone to hyper-poor play once the snowball gets moving in the wrong direction.
We forgive you if you thought we wrote those words about Dan Girardi, though it would be nice if he moved to Philadelphia. (Too mean?)
Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Charlie Conway- J.T. Miller, Brady Skjei, and Derek Stepan
Conway has to be American, so that kicked Rick Nash out of the equation. There are plenty of Americans on the Rangers, but Miller, Skjei, and Stepan fit the bill the best.
Conway is a winner, and all three of Miller, Skjei, and Stepan won the World Junior Championships for the United States. Conway boasts exceptional puck-handling skills like the trio, is hounded by his coach to play to the best of his abilities, and when you think of his team, you think of him. The same can be said for the trio of Rangers.
Miller recently scored an overtime winner, a calling card of Conway’s. However it’s Stepan who matches best, thanks to his Game 7, series-winning overtime goal against the Washington Capitals in the 2015 playoffs.
That’s a Charlie Conway moment right there.
Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports
Russ Tyler- Nick Holden
An epiphany has occurred. We have finally figured out how Nick Holden has put up the numbers he has this season. Nick Holden, known for being useless offensively, is now an offensive mastermind. He must have watched the Mighty Ducks movies. He must have watched Russ Tyler.
He must have learned the knucklepuck.
It makes sense now! Holden must have learned the patented move of Russ Tyler, thus figuring out how to beat goalies from all angles. Holden’s defensive play has been fine, but it’s his offensive performance that has us wowed. Russ Tyler’s play was similar, and that’s how he was discovered by Coach Bombay.
Kevin Klein knew the knucklepuck last year, but clearly forgot how to use it. This year, Nick Holden is Russ Tyler.
Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Julie Gaffney- Henrik Lundqvist
The best goaltender on the Mighty Ducks matches up with the best goaltender on the New York Rangers. It’s perfect. Gaffney’s pros as listed by CinemaBlend:
Pros: Quick glovehand, winning experience, great flexibility, drop dead gorgeous.
Down to the drop dead gorgeous, Henrik Lundqvist fits the bill. There were times it looked like Lundqvist had lost some of his starts to Antti Raanta, much like Gaffney lost some of hers to Greg Goldberg. Still, the best goalies always come out on top, and Gaffney and Lundqvist are the stars of their respective teams.
Lundqvist could be called on in any situation to lead the team, even if things are not always perfect. That is the Julie Gaffney way, as one time she was called on to stop a penalty shot after not playing the remainder of the game.
Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
Jesse Hall- Kevin Hayes and Rick Nash
Hall is your big-bodied, strong on the puck player that can also score brilliant goals. Let’s look at CinemaBlend’s scouting report:
He’s nimble enough to get up and down the ice quickly, but he’s bulky enough not to get pushed off the puck. He’s capable of working in a rigid structure, and he’s skilled enough where he can open up the game if need be. He’s got impressive hands, and he’s a willing passer. He’s a damn good player, and he’s more than able to carry the Ducks for long stretches of the game
Hayes and Nash are two huge forwards with the ability to lead the team at any given time. The duo use their quick thinking abilities alongside their soft hands to find opportunities that opponents and teammates couldn’t dream of. Their passing abilities leave little to be desired, and they can hold onto the puck like no others. Both are perfect examples of Jesse Hall hockey.
Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
Adam Banks- Ryan McDonagh, Jimmy Vesey, and Mika Zibanejad
Adam Banks’ joining the Mighty Ducks was mired with controversy, as the opposing district was not happy about losing their player. McDonagh, Vesey, and Zibanejad’s former teams sure aren’t happy about losing them.
McDonagh and Zibanejad earn the nods because of McDonagh’s tremendous skill and ability to lead the team (yes, Banks was the best player on the Mighty Ducks, not Conway) and Zibanejad joined the team late under some duress considering how much Rangers fans loved Derick Brassard.
However the perfect fit is Jimmy Vesey, as although he was not loathed by Rangers fans upon his arrival, he joined the team after leaving another and was forced to fit into a new environment under unique circumstances. Vesey even looks like Banks a bit if you look closely enough.
The Nashville Predators and Buffalo Sabres would certainly agree that Vesey is Banks.
