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Shea Theodore

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Shea Theodore
Theodore with the Vegas Golden Knights in 2018
Born (1995-08-03) August 3, 1995 (age 29)
Aldergrove, British Columbia, Canada
Height 6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight 195 lb (88 kg; 13 st 13 lb)
Position Defence
Shoots Left
NHL team
Former teams		 Vegas Golden Knights
Anaheim Ducks
National team  Canada
NHL draft 26th overall, 2013
Anaheim Ducks
Playing career 2014–present

Shea Theodore (born August 3, 1995) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman for the Vegas Golden Knights of the National Hockey League (NHL). Theodore was selected by the Anaheim Ducks in the first round, 26th overall, of the 2013 NHL Entry Draft.

Theodore began his minor hockey career with the Aldergrove Minor Hockey Association, during which he established himself as the most outstanding player in the team's franchise history. His successful minor career earned him a selection in the 2010 WHL Bantam Draft, by the Seattle Thunderbirds. During his tenure with the team, Theodore served as captain and competed for Team Canada at various international tournaments. He won a gold medal at the 2013 IIHF World U18 Championships and 2015 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships and a silver medal at the 2019 IIHF World Championship.

Playing career

Theodore in 2015 during a game against the Vancouver Giants

Youth

Theodore began his hockey career in Fraser Valley, opting out of the Burnaby Winter Club.[1] He played minor hockey with the Aldergrove Minor Hockey Association during the 2009–10 season prior to his Bantam draft eligibility.[2] On April 29, 2010, Theodore was drafted in the third round of the 2010 WHL Bantam Draft, by the Seattle Thunderbirds in the Western Hockey League (WHL). At the time of his selection, he was measured at 5 ft 10 in (178 cm) and 142 lb (64 kg).[3] By the time he graduated from minor hockey, Theodore established himself as the most outstanding player in the team's franchise history. Theodore and his family gave credit for his impact to coaches Steve Howerton, Dan Armstrong, Kris Armstrong, Steve Potomak, and Tim Preston, Theodore's trainer for 10 years.[4] He played four games with the Thunderbirds but spent the majority of the 2010–11 season with the Fraser Valley Bruins in the British Columbia midget major league.[2] He was also selected to compete with Team BC at the 2011 Canada Winter Games.[5]

Prior to the 2011–12 season, Theodore partook in the Seattle Thunderbirds rookie camp.[6] After making the final roster, Theodore recorded 35 points in 69 games during his first full season. He recorded his first career major junior goal in a 6–3 win over the Portland Winterhawks on November 19, 2011.[7] As the 2013 NHL Entry Draft approached, Theodore was rated as a top prospect by various scouts.[8] Midway through the 2012–13 season, Theodore was ranked 17th amongst American skaters by the NHL Central Scouting Bureau[9] and was eventually drafted in the first round of the 2013 NHL Entry Draft by the Anaheim Ducks. He signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the team on September 24, 2013.[10] Theodore continued his high scoring pace during the 2013–14 WHL season, where he led all WHL defencemen in scoring and was selected for the Western Conference 1st Team All-Star team.[11] He was assigned to the Ducks American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Norfolk Admirals, on April 10, 2014[12] but recorded no points in four games.[13]

After attending the Ducks training camp, Theodore was reassigned to the WHL for the 2014–15 season. Following a mid-season injury to captain Justin Hickman, Theodore was selected to wear the "C" for the remainder of the year.[14] In his final season of junior hockey, Theodore served an assistant captain[2] and was awarded the Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy as WHL defenceman of the year.[15] He joined the Ducks AHL affiliate, the Norfolk Admirals, in April 2015 after recording 13 goals and 35 assists in 43 games.[16]

Professional

Theodore was assigned to the San Diego Gulls, the Ducks inaugural AHL affiliate, to begin the 2015–16 season. He earned his first NHL call up on October 17 but was returned to the AHL without making his debut.[17] Theodore eventually made his NHL debut on December 30, 2015, against the Calgary Flames. In the 1–0 victory which ended the Flames' home win streak, he played on a pairing with Clayton Stoner.[18] He would later record his first career NHL goal in a game against the Ottawa Senators on January 13, 2016,[19] and help the Ducks qualify for the 2016 Stanley Cup playoffs. During their first-round matchup against Nashville, Theodore's time on ice slowly lowered due to errors as the team eventually lost in the first round.[20]

The following season, Theodore was once again assigned to the San Diego Gulls after participating in the Ducks training camp.[21] He spent the remainder of the season moving between the Ducks and Gulls, an amount he estimated surpassed 15 times.[22] He again played in the 2017 Stanley Cup playoffs, where he recorded his first postseason goal on April 17, 2017.[23] However, his tenure with the Ducks was shortly coming to a close. On June 21, 2017, at the NHL Expansion Draft, Theodore was traded by the Ducks to the Vegas Golden Knights in order for the Ducks to keep established defenceman Josh Manson and ensure the Golden Knights selected Clayton Stoner.[24]

Theodore with the Golden Knights in 2024.

Upon arriving, he was assigned to the Golden Knights AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves, to begin the 2017–18 season,[25] but was recalled to the NHL on October 30.[26] As he was the only waiver exempt player on the Golden Knights roster, he was consistently shuffled in between the AHL and NHL rosters. During his time with the Golden Knights in the 2018 Stanley Cup playoffs, Theodore averaged 21:37 minutes and was praised for his skating ability by teammates.[27] Prior to the 2018–19 season, Theodore signed a seven-year, $36.4 million contract extension with the Golden Knights on September 24, 2018.[28] At the time of the signing, he had missed nearly two weeks of training camp due to the contract dispute.[29] One of the key features of the dispute was the length of the contract, as the team wished for a longer-term than a two-year deal.[30] In spite of this, he recorded a career high 37 points in 79 games as the Golden Knights again qualified for the Stanley Cup playoffs.[13] Following their elimination, Theodore trained in Vancouver with Morgan Rielly and Devon Toews.[31]

Prior to the 2019–20 season, Theodore underwent surgery to treat his testicular cancer.[32] Theodore's grandmother, who was also being treated for cancer, was invited to drop the ceremonial first puck during the Golden Knights Hockey Fights Cancer game on November 21, 2019.[33]

By the 2022–23 season, Theodore was one of six remaining original members of the Golden Knights, alongside Jonathan Marchessault, William Karlsson, Reilly Smith, Brayden McNabb and William Carrier. The team reached the Stanley Cup Finals for the second time, winning the Cup over the Florida Panthers in five games. Theodore and four of the other original Golden Knights started the decisive Game 5.[34]

On October 24, 2024, shortly after the start of the 2024–25 season, and as a pending free agent, Theodore signed a seven-year extension with the Golden Knights, keeping him in Vegas through the 2031–32 season.[35]

International play

Medal record
Ice hockey
Representing  Canada
World Championships
Silver medal – second place 2019 Slovakia
World Junior Championships
Gold medal – first place 2015 Canada
World U18 Championship
Gold medal – first place 2013 Sochi

During the 2012–13 season, Theodore was a member of Team Canada under-18 squad when it won gold medals at both the 2012 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament[36] and the 2013 IIHF World U18 Championships.[37] Theodore would again play for the Team Canada during the 2015 World Junior Ice Hockey Championship, where he helped them hold the Russians scoreless in the third period to win the gold medal.[38]

On April 29, 2019, Theodore was slated to make his full international debut after he was named to the Team Canada roster for the 2019 IIHF World Championship, held in Slovakia.[39] While undergoing preparations to compete in the tournament, he was diagnosed with testicular cancer[40] after failing a drug test due to high hCG hormone levels.[41] In spite of this, he helped Canada progress through to the playoff rounds before losing the final to Finland to finish with the silver medal.[42] Theodore completed the tournament posting 2 goals and 7 points in 10 games from the blueline.[13]

Personal life

Theodore was born on August 3, 1995,[13] to millwright Cam and bankworker Corrine Theodore.[1] His older sister Alyssa also plays ice hockey in women's and men's leagues while attending the University of the Fraser Valley for her Bachelor of Arts degree.[43]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2010–11 Seattle Thunderbirds WHL 4 0 0 0 2 — — — — —
2011–12 Seattle Thunderbirds WHL 69 4 31 35 30 — — — — —
2012–13 Seattle Thunderbirds WHL 71 19 31 50 32 7 0 2 2 4
2013–14 Seattle Thunderbirds WHL 70 22 57 79 39 9 0 5 5 4
2013–14 Norfolk Admirals AHL 4 0 0 0 0 4 1 2 3 2
2014–15 Seattle Thunderbirds WHL 43 13 35 48 16 6 3 6 9 0
2014–15 Norfolk Admirals AHL 8 4 5 9 0 — — — — —
2015–16 San Diego Gulls AHL 50 9 28 37 34 7 2 3 5 4
2015–16 Anaheim Ducks NHL 19 3 5 8 2 6 0 0 0 0
2016–17 San Diego Gulls AHL 26 5 15 20 12 — — — — —
2016–17 Anaheim Ducks NHL 34 2 7 9 28 14 2 6 8 4
2017–18 Chicago Wolves AHL 8 5 6 11 2 — — — — —
2017–18 Vegas Golden Knights NHL 61 6 23 29 14 20 3 7 10 8
2018–19 Vegas Golden Knights NHL 79 12 25 37 20 7 1 7 8 6
2019–20 Vegas Golden Knights NHL 71 13 33 46 25 20 7 11 18 8
2020–21 Vegas Golden Knights NHL 53 8 34 42 14 19 1 9 10 10
2021–22 Vegas Golden Knights NHL 78 14 38 52 24 — — — — —
2022–23 Vegas Golden Knights NHL 55 8 33 41 18 21 1 12 13 10
2023–24 Vegas Golden Knights NHL 47 5 37 42 6 7 0 0 0 0
NHL totals 497 71 235 306 151 114 15 53 68 46

International

Year Team Event Result GP G A Pts PIM
2012 Canada IH18 1st place, gold medalist(s) 5 0 0 0 2
2013 Canada U18 1st place, gold medalist(s) 7 0 5 5 0
2015 Canada WJC 1st place, gold medalist(s) 7 1 1 2 0
2019 Canada WC 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 10 2 5 7 4
Junior totals 19 1 6 7 2
Senior totals 10 2 5 7 4

Awards and honours

Award Year Ref
WHL
(West) First All-Star Team 2013–14 [44]
Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy 2015 [15]
NHL
Stanley Cup champion 2023 [45]
International
Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament gold medal 2012 [46]
IIHF World U18 Championships gold medal 2013 [47]
IIHF World U20 Championships gold medal 2015 [38]

References

  1. ^ a b Kuzma, Ben (June 23, 2013). "For NHL draft prospect Shea Theodore, it's a matter of how hard you work, not where you've played". The Province. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  2. ^ a b c "Shea Theodore". hockeysfuture.com. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  3. ^ "T-Birds Select Defenseman In First Round of Bantam Draft". seattlethunderbirds.com. Seattle Thunderbirds. April 29, 2010. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  4. ^ "Aldergrove's Theodore brings home more hockey gold". BC Local News. August 20, 2012. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  5. ^ "2011 Canada Winter Games Team BC" (PDF). bchockey.net. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  6. ^ "Rookie Camp Day 1 Wrap-Up". seattlethunderbirds.com. Seattle Thunderbirds. August 26, 2011. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  7. ^ "Portland Sent Packing By T-Birds 5 Goal Outburst In Second Period". seattlethunderbirds.com. Seattle Thunderbirds. November 19, 2011. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  8. ^ Eide, Andrew (April 17, 2013). "Shea Theodore – The Next Ones: NHL 2013 Prospect Profile". thehockeywriters.com. The Hockey Writers. Retrieved May 3, 2020.
  9. ^ "WHL High 6 T-Birds Make NHL Central Scouting Midterm Rankings". seattlethunderbirds.com. Seattle Thunderbirds. January 15, 2013. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  10. ^ "Ducks sign 2013 First-Round pick Theodore". Anaheim Ducks. September 24, 2013. Retrieved September 24, 2013.
  11. ^ "Theodore Named Western Conference 1st Team All-Star". seattlethunderbirds.com. Seattle Thunderbirds. March 20, 2014. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  12. ^ "Theodore Joins Norfolk Admirals". seattlethunderbirds.com. April 10, 2014. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  13. ^ a b c d "Shea Theodore". eliteprospects.com. Elite Propsects. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  14. ^ "T-Birds Name Jerret Smith Captain". seattlethunderbirds.com. September 24, 2015. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  15. ^ a b "Theodore and Kozun Named WHL Award Winners". seattlethunderbirds.com. Seattle Thunderbirds. May 5, 2015. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  16. ^ "Shea Theodore Joins Norfolk Admirals". seattlethunderbirds.com. Seattle Thunderbirds. April 10, 2015. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  17. ^ Harms, Rob (November 17, 2015). "Loss of Shea Theodore further depletes Gulls' defense". San Diego Union–Tribune. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  18. ^ Haynes, Darren (December 30, 2015). "Flames home wins streak ends at 11 games with loss to Ducks". ctvnews.ca. CTV News. The Canadian Press. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  19. ^ "Theodore, Andersen lift Ducks over Senators 4-1". USA Today. Associated Press. January 14, 2016. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  20. ^ Stephens, Eric (December 15, 2016). "Ducks, Shea Theodore seeking the same outcome". The Press-Enterprise. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  21. ^ "Ducks Reduce Roster to 28". NHL.com. National Hockey League. October 6, 2016. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  22. ^ Spencer, Donna (April 19, 2017). "Ducks defenceman Shea Theodore finds his footing quickly in NHL playoffs". Sooke News Mirror. The Canadian Press. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  23. ^ @TSN1040 (April 17, 2017). "Shea Theodore scores his first career postseason goal for the #Ducks. It's 4-2 #Flames after 40" (Tweet). Retrieved May 3, 2020 – via Twitter.
  24. ^ Stephens, Eric (June 21, 201). "To keep coveted defenders, Ducks sacrifice Shea Theodore as Vegas takes Clayton Stoner". Orange County Register. Retrieved May 3, 2020.
  25. ^ "Shipachyov, Theodore, Tuch Set To Join Wolves". chicagowolves.com. October 3, 2017. Retrieved May 3, 2018.
  26. ^ "Shea Theodore Recalled From Chicago Wolves". NHL.com. October 30, 2017. Retrieved May 3, 2018.
  27. ^ Seravalli, Frank (May 30, 2018). "Once odd-man out, Stanley Cup is Theodore's coming-out party". tsn.ca. The Sports Network. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  28. ^ "Vegas Golden Knights Sign Defenseman Shea Theodore". NHL.com. September 24, 2018. Retrieved September 25, 2018.
  29. ^ Schoen, David (September 28, 2018). "Golden Knights' Shea Theodore to make preseason debut vs. Kings". Las Vegas Review Journal. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  30. ^ "Golden Knights re-sign RFA Shea Theodore to 7-year deal". sportsnet.ca. Sportsnet. Associated Press. September 25, 2018. Retrieved May 3, 2020.
  31. ^ "Toews Not Taking Anything For Granted in Second Season". nhl.com. National Hockey League. September 18, 2019. Archived from the original on May 1, 2020. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  32. ^ Bumbaca, Chris (September 12, 2019). "Golden Knights defenseman Shea Theodore says he was treated for testicular cancer". USA Today. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  33. ^ Grochowski, Sarah (November 22, 2019). "NHL honours Aldergrove athlete and grandmother's 'fight' against cancer in special match". Langley Advance Times. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  34. ^ Delos Santos, Paul (June 14, 2023). "Original 'Misfits' get Golden Knights started to Cup-clinching Game 5 win". NHL.com. Retrieved June 18, 2023.
  35. ^ "Theodore signs 7-year, $51.975 million contract with Golden Knights". NHL.com. October 24, 2024. Retrieved October 24, 2024.
  36. ^ "Canada's National Men's Summer Under-18 Team Wins Gold Medal at 2012 Memorial of Ivan Hlinka". hockeycanada.ca. Hockey Canada. August 18, 2012. Retrieved May 3, 2020.
  37. ^ "Canada's National Men's Under-18 Team has won the gold medal at the 2013 IIHF Ice Hockey World U18 Championship". hockeycanada.ca. Hockey Canada. April 28, 2013. Retrieved May 3, 2020.
  38. ^ a b Weigers, Gordon (December 28, 2018). "Theodore And Karlsson Look Back On World Juniors". nhl.com. National Hockey League. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  39. ^ "Hockey Canada names 22 players to 2019 IIHF World Championship roster". Hockey Canada. April 29, 2019. Retrieved April 29, 2019.
  40. ^ Edie, Andy (September 12, 2019). "T-Birds notebook: Shea Theodore cancer scare, trades and a new McNelly". sports.mynorthwest.com. My Northwest. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  41. ^ Grochowski, Sarah (October 31, 2019). "Aldergrove-born NHL athlete overcomes cancer". Aldergrove Star. The Canadian Press. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  42. ^ The Canadian Press (May 26, 2019). "Finland defeats Canada for Gold Medal at World Championship". The Sports Network. Retrieved May 26, 2019.
  43. ^ Shohara, Kyle (January 14, 2017). "Road Trip Brings Theodore Siblings Even Closer". nhl.com. National Hockey League. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  44. ^ "WHL Announces All-Stars & Awards". Western Hockey League. April 1, 2014. Archived from the original on March 24, 2014. Retrieved April 1, 2014.
  45. ^ Brewer, Contessa (June 14, 2023). "Golden Knights' Stanley Cup win cements Las Vegas as a big-time sports city". CNBC. Retrieved June 18, 2023.
  46. ^ "22 CHL players win 2012 Ivan Hlinka Gold". Canadian Hockey League. July 8, 2012. Retrieved May 17, 2014.
  47. ^ "Canada's National Men's Under-18 Team wins gold medal at 2013 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship". Hockey Canada. May 1, 2013. Retrieved May 1, 2013.
Awards and achievements
Preceded by Anaheim Ducks first round draft pick
2013 		Succeeded by
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