The Ducks selected defenseman Shea Theodore with the 26th overall pick in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The draft continues today with Anaheim holding selections in the second round (45th overall), third round (87th overall), fifth round (147th overall) and sixth round (177th overall).“Shea is a great skater and can really move the puck,” said Executive Vice President/General Manager Bob Murray. “The way the game is played now, that is really important. You need players like that. We are really excited.”Theodore, 17 (8/3/95), scored 19-31=50 points with 32 penalty minutes (PIM) in 71 games with the Seattle Thunderbirds of the Western Hockey League (WHL) last season. Theodore ranked eighth among all WHL defensemen in scoring, and second among team leaders in assists and third in points. The 6-2, 178-pound blueliner has appeared in 144 career WHL games with Seattle, collecting 23-62=85 points with 64 PIM. He also played seven WHL Playoff games this spring, earning 0-2=2 points with a +1 rating and four PIM.A native of Aldergrove, British Columbia, Theodore won gold with Team Canada at the 2012 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament and registered five assists (0-5=5) en route to gold at the 2013 Under-18 World Championship. He also won a gold medal with Team British Columbia at the 2011 Canada Winter Games.

NHL Central Scouting’s B.J. MacDonald :

"Smooth as silk. He's a really nice player. He can lay down a pass just as good as anyone in the league, always on the tape. He's really heady and really smart, and he actually runs their power play. I like everything about him. Good size, good movement.”



Read more on Theodore here.



Theodore spoke to reporters via conference call on Sunday afternoon :



On whether he thought he might get picked by the Ducks,

I had a pretty good feeling I was going to go in that range, from what my agent had told me. I had really good talks with Anaheim yesterday. They gave me a pretty good feeling. I was a little jittery when they walked up to the stage, and they ended up picking me, so I’m very excited right now.



On who he would compare himself to in the NHL,

I would compare myself to a Mike Green of Washington. An offensive defenseman who likes to move the puck.



Oh his biggest influences,

I think both of my parents are big influences, but my dad plays for a men’s league team and he got me going, drove me to the rink every morning and did all of the things parents do to get their kid into hockey. My sister plays a little bit. She’s 20. She plays on two men’s league teams while going to university and working part-time. She’s a busy girl. We had a really good relationship and we’re still really close.



On his strong finish to his season,

It had something to do with our team trying to make a playoff push and me putting more of a defensive role on my own shoulders and trying to get things done.



On scouts saying he needs to work on the defensive side of his game,

That’s a fair assessment. But I feel like as I get bigger and stronger and develop more, I think that’s an area that will be improved on. I’ve been improving the past two years and I think with the right coaching it can get better.



On what he knows about the Ducks,

I know they’re out there in California and I also know they develop good defensemen like Cam Fowler. I’m excited to meet him and learn from him as much as I can.