Did You Know?

There are some very interesting little tidbits of information associated with this show and its characters. I've gleaned these from several well-trained eyes, as well as from David Wise himself! Read on for some great inside information that even the most dedicated Ducks fans may not know.

The Ducks went through several name changes before they appeared on the air. Wildwing was originally named Check, but head writer David Wise dismissed this name as being too brash and aggressive. He opted instead to name the character after the hockey team's mascot: Wild Wing.
In preliminary sketches, Mallory and Tanya had their names switched around. Duke's name was also spelled Duques.
Preliminary sketches had labeled Nosedive as the team leader.
Some writers and animators attended a Ducks practice to gain inspiration for the show.
The theme song is sung by the lead singer from the 80's band Jefferson Starship, Mickey Thomas. You may know them from their hit single "We Built This City on Rock and Roll."
The Ducks never had last names created for use in the show. However, the head writer David Wise created a set for fans to use, and they are accurately listed in this site's character profiles.
MD:TAS has aired in the following countries: USA, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, and China. The theme song was re-sung and episodes were dubbed in German and Chinese.
Mallory has often 'substituted' for Tanya in merchandise, as Tanya is the only Duck who never became an action figure. Mallory/Tanya substitution can be seen on the Puckworld Sticker Book, and the trading card from Mallory's original series action figure.
Ian Zierring, the voice of Wildwing, played a goalie in one episode of 90210, where he and his friends practiced in the rink that was home to the L.A. Kings.
Duke's original character design was like that of a modern Robin Hood, which would include a British accent in his voice. Later, his character turned to the version we all know and love, Brooklyn accent included!
Wildwing is sometimes, but rarely, featured on merchandise for the Ducks hockey team, in place of the team's actual mascot, Wild Wing. The differences between the two are that Wild Wing has a bigger head, a tuft of feathers for a tail, and the number 93 instead of 00. (1993 was the team's inagural year.)
In the episode "The Most Dangerous Duck Hunt", after Tanya scoops up a sample of solarinite, the camera pans up to reveal Wildwing and Mallory looking on while hugging each other.
Parts of some episodes had to be re-done, even after they had already aired, due to animation and coloring mistakes. Most prominent is "To Catch A Duck". There are two versions of this episode, which can be told apart when Duke rubs his beak and says: "There's only one way to get to him..." In the original airing, colorists failed to fill in a gap in his lower beak, making it seem as though he were making an 'O' shape with his mouth even though he wasn't speaking. The corrected version of this episode has his beak completely colored in.
Wildwing's jersey number, 00, is officially not allowed for use by NHL players.
David Wise, the head writer for the Ducks, also worked as a writer for the Ninja Turtles. Because the teams are so similar, he used some episode ideas in TMNT for MD:TAS as well. Go back and check! It's fun to compare.