In feature films and in Disney Channel Original Movies, the Disney brand favors ice hockey and ice skating. Both sports are enthralling and already have large fandoms in real life, so it is fun to lower the stakes a bit and root for the fictional skaters or teams onscreen.
Sports movies are an enduring genre because they lure viewers into the thrill of the game. The combination of rigorous training and personal growth is an addicting one. An honorable mention for the wintry sports category goes to the intense skiing and snowboarding of DCOM Johnny Tsunami. Ice skaters, hockey players, and devoted fans, check out these great movies on Disney+.
Den Brother: 5.4
Den Brother is an adorable 2010 DCOM starring Hutch Dano and a young Genevieve Hannelius as Alex and Emily Pearson, respectively. The siblings have different priorities. Alex is a high school ice hockey star, and Emily is devoted to her Bumble Bee troop.
When Emily's Girl Scouts equivalent is in danger of dissolving into another troop, Alex assumes the Den Mother role, becoming known as the Den Brother. It's a little odd that none of the other girls' parents can step up to the plate, but Alex learns a lot from his young charges, especially his little sister.
D3: The Mighty Ducks: 5.5
Trilogies' third installments often show lower ratings, but people still enjoy D3 from The Mighty Ducks. The film takes the players to a fictional preparatory high school, Eden Hall Academy. They struggle to adjust to a new hockey coach and still need the help of Gordon Bombay (Emilio Estevez).
The franchise as a whole inspired a real hockey team in the 1990s and led to an animated series. It was announced in early 2020 that the films are getting the reboot treatment in a new Disney+ series, with the longtime lead intact.
Go Figure: 5.7
Go Figure (2005) was one of the last Disney Channel Original Movies before High School Musical. The two stories bear similarities in that an athlete learns to devote her time and passion to more than one special talent.
Katelin Kingsford is a figure skater who desires to hone her craft with a Russian coach, but the only way to do that is to attend a nearby boarding school on an ice hockey scholarship. Katelin can't stand the new sport at first, but she finds that the harder she works, the more her skills on the ice improve overall.
Ice Princess: 6.0
Ice Princess is a Disney cinematic treasure for those who love to watch ice skating during the Winter Olympics. The 2005 film stars Michelle Trachtenberg as Casey Carlyle, a physics wiz bound for the Ivy League. Casey's mother is a professor who strongly encourages an academic career.
When Casey pursues a physics project about figure skating, she realizes that she was made to be a professional skater. She overcomes her lack of experience through intense training and dedication like the other skaters she has studied, temporarily losing her relationship with her mother over the sport. By the end of the movie, Casey, her mom (Joan Cusack), and her tough trainer (Kim Cattrall) learn to get along so that Casey may pursue her dreams with full support.
D2: The Mighty Ducks: 6.1
1994 brought the first Mighty Ducks sequel, D2. The movie continues Gordon Bombay's journey with the hockey team as they become Team USA and work to win an international junior league competition in Los Angeles.
The players must deal with new challenges, like an entitled sports promoter, as they train for the Junior Goodwill Games and prepare for Iceland's tricks on the ice.
Genius: 6.3
Genius (1999) is the original hockey-related DCOM. Trevor Morgan plays Charlie Boyle, a child brainiac who is operating at the college level. Charlie loves to solve problems, so he comes up with a solution in order to have a social life with kids his own age. Charlie gives himself a little makeover, calls himself Chaz Anthony, and attends school with his peers, quickly falling for Claire Addison (played by Emmy Rossum, known as Fiona on Shameless).
As expected, Charlie/Chaz watches his two worlds collide, but it all works it out. While the primary hockey focus is a precarious college men's team, Charlie and his friends are seen playing both street hockey and ice hockey in the film.
H-E Double Hockey Sticks: 6.4
With its clever title and charming talent (Will Friedle and Matthew Lawrence), H-E Double Hockey Sticks is one of those TV movies that will always leave an impression. It aired in 1999 as part of The Wonderful World of Disney.
The offbeat story pits a devil-in-training, Griffelkin (Friedle), against a big hockey star, Dave Heinrich (Lawrence). Ms. Beelzebub (Rhea Perlman) sends Griffelkin to steal Dave's soul. Gabrielle Union is also in this movie.
The Mighty Ducks: 6.5
The Mighty Ducks is one of the most memorable sports movies of the 1990s. The first one is clearly the best of them all. In accordance with a drunk driving arrest, Lawyer Gordon Bombay is first introduced to his community service project: coaching a kids' ice hockey team.
The movie that started it all shows Gordon's growth as a coach and parental figure to players on his team. The prized family film will always be a favorite to those who grew up with it.
Miracle: 7.2
Miracle (2004) tells the true story of Herb Brooks as he coaches the US Men's Olympic Hockey Team. Against the backdrop of the Cold War in 1980, rowdy college guys get in shape to compete against the Soviet Union.
Herb Brooks sadly passed away a year before the movie's release. Brooks was NHL Coach of the Year, a man who took his team from humble beginnings to unbelievable victory.