ANAHEIM, Calif. - Shea Theodore is about a month shy of turning 20 years old. Compared to many kids his age at prospect camps around the NHL, he has something the others have yet to develop:

A personality.

Theodore, drafted in the first round of 2013 (No. 26 overall) by the Anaheim Ducks, is a pretty likeable young man. While his contemporaries are honing their abilities when speaking with the media, the defenseman is at home chatting.

The offensive-defenseman is patiently waiting for his opportunity to make it to the big show. And the Ducks have been very clear that he's not being hurried into the pros. (They learned their lesson with Cam Fowler.) He stopped for a couple minutes following Anaheim's prospect camp scrimmages to chat with myself, Elliott Teaford and Mark Whicker, both of the LA News Group.

Have the Ducks given you any indication as to where they’d like you to be in your training? Bob Murray said he’s not going to rush you along. So where do you see yourself and making the roster? This season? Next season?

I’m assuming I’ll start out in the minors. They’ve got a pretty solid top six right now with [Kevin] Bieksa coming in. I’m not trying to rush myself or get too down on myself if I don’t make the team right away. It’s not really an expectation of mine. BUT, then again, I’m trying to work hard and move my way up the ladder of the depth chart. That’s all I’m trying to do right now.

Because it’d really hurt to be in San Diego for a few months now?

(Laughs) Yeah…

There are worst places you could be…

(Big smile) Yeah, it’s tough.

What was the biggest difference between Seattle [Thunderbirds of WHL] and Norfolk [Admirals of AHL] last year?

The speed and the size is obvious a big difference. You go from playing with 16 and 17 year old guys to 25, 26 year old men who are a couple years pro. I thought I handled myself pretty well in those games. I know you have lots of support all over the ice. I felt like my offensive, my puck skills, weren’t really helping me out in games, but I felt like I played a pretty good game. I’m excited for next year.

What did you want to prove in Seattle last year to yourself? Speaking about things you wanted to improve in your game, things you wanted to establish.

I think just going into the season it was more of my defensive game. I know that’s what Bob wants me to really focus on. I felt like I went into the year and came out a plus player on a team that was OK, we had our ups and downs. But I felt like I was really on the defensive side of the game a lot more. I played a bigger d-role. I was playing lots of minutes. I had a fun year. It was good for me.

View photos KELOWNA, CANADA - JANUARY 16: Shea Theodore #17 of Seattle Thunderbirds warms up against the Kelowna Rockets on January 16, 2015 at Prospera Place in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada. (Photo by Marissa Baecker/Getty Images) More

When did it start, in terms of that was going to be your sport? When did you realize you might have a future doing this?

I know I started pretty early, skating around at two or three. He’d bring me out after some of his games to rip around, but I think five or six, I really started playing. When I got drafted in the bantam draft, that’s when you’re like “ok, here’s the plan going forward” and really see yourself as a hockey player, as opposed to “what am I going to do for the rest of my life.”

Where you grew up, that’s pretty close to the border?

Yeah, I live two minutes away from the U.S. border. It was only two-and-a-half hours for my parents to come down to Seattle and watch me play for a couple years. It was really nice.

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