Movies & TV

Puck Junk Podcast: “Sudden Death” Movie Retrospective

Episode #236: December 23, 2025

In the last episode for 2025, the guys take a long look back at the 1995 hockey/action film “Sudden Death.” The movie came out 30 years ago this month and is about Jean-Claude Van Damme trying to stop terrorists from blowing up Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final. “Sudden Death” featured a few ex-Penguins players and even team mascot Iceburgh got in on the action. Other topics in this episode are the new 2025-26 Upper Deck Series One Holiday Edition cards and the FTC investigating the sale of Beckett to PSA. The YouTube version of the podcast features photos and video.

Links
The Making of Sudden Death: An Oral History (The Hockey News)
FTC to Investigate Sale of Beckett to PSA (Sports Collectors Digest)
2025-26 Upper Deck NHL Series 1 Hockey Holiday Box (Walmart Canada)

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Podcast music by Retro Game Remix – follow them on YouTube. 

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Tim’s Take: Shoresy, the Modern-Day Slap Shot

I’m admittedly late to the Letterkenny party as for quite a while; it wasn’t available on any of the services that I had. Once I was finally able to watch, I clearly saw what all the hype was about. But as much as I enjoyed that series, I have enjoyed it’s spinoff series even more. If you are a hockey fan, hockey player, grew up around the rinks, or just like really well put together shows, you may want to give Shoresy a look.

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Review: The Mighty Ducks Game Changers, Season 1, Episode 10

“State of Play” is the 10th and final episode in the first season of The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers, and it delivers what viewers have been expecting all along: a rematch between the Don’t Bothers and the Mighty Ducks. It does this with some plot twists and — to quote Coach Orion from the third Mighty Ducks film — a few “little duck tricks.” 

NOTE: This review contains minor spoilers. 

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Review: The Mighty Ducks Game Changers, Season 1, Episode 9

“Head Games” is the penultimate episode in season one of The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers. It skillfully continues the series’ trajectory towards an inevitable final showdown between the Don’t Bothers and the Mighty Ducks. It’s a great episode that entertains without an iota of hockey action. 

NOTE: This review contains minor spoilers. 

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Review: The Mighty Ducks Game Changers, Season 1, Episode 8

“Change on the Fly,” the 8th episode of The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers, appropriately describes Alex’s changing attitude as the Don’t Bothers continue their win streak. However, winning comes with a price: the Don’t Bothers are slowly becoming the Mighty Ducks. 

NOTE: This review contains minor spoilers. 

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Review: The Mighty Ducks Game Changers, Season 1, Episode 7

“Pond Hockey,” the seventh episode of The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers, starts out promising. The Don’t Bothers are understandably angry at Evan for thinking of rejoining the Ducks. But the episode crams too much into too little time, feels rushed, and isn’t as satisfying as the previous six episodes. 

NOTE: This review contains minor spoilers. 

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Review: The Mighty Ducks Game Changers, Season 1, Episode 6

Usually, a spin-off series will have guest stars in the first episode to draw in viewers and connect the past to the present. In The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers, we had to wait until the sixth episode to see what the old Ducks players were up to these days — and it was worth the wait.

Entitled “Spirit of the Ducks,” Game Changers brings back Fulton Reed, Adam Banks, Guy Germaine, Connie Moreau, Les Averman and Ken Wu from the Ducks movies. It’s the episode that we’ve all been waiting for, and while it feels good to reconnect with old friends, there are some hurt feelings, too. 

NOTE: This review contains minor spoilers and assumes you’ve seen the previous episode. 

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Review: The Mighty Ducks Game Changers, Season 1, Episode 5

In the fifth episode of The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers, entitled “Cherry Picker,” the Don’t Bothers are psyched because their next game is against the Hawks. No, these aren’t the black-clad “evil team” from the original Ducks film. The Hawks, who now wear orange and black, are the second-worst team in the league, which means the Don’t Bothers (0-5 thus far) might get their first win of the season. But a surprise visit from Evan’s estranged father suddenly complicates things for Evan, Alex and the team. 

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The Wyatt Russell Hockey Rookie Card

Did you know that Wyatt Russell has a hockey card? Yes, the actor who plays John Walker — a.k.a. the new Captain America — in the Disney+ series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier used to be a pro hockey player. His hockey card is from a set of movie trading cards made to promote the film Goon: Last of the Enforcers. Russell’s life — going from hockey player, to actor playing hockey player, to actor playing Captain America — took an interesting and unconventional road. 

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