Shea Theodore's Advice For Staying In Hotels

1,710 miles.
19 trips up and down Interstate 5 in California, back and forth. San Diego to Anaheim, and back to San Diego. Back to Anaheim, play a game, go back to San Diego. Wait another week and head back up to Anaheim.
And catch whatever plane, train or automobile you need to find your team, wherever they may be. After all, the Anaheim Ducks aren't always in Anaheim, nor are the AHL's San Diego Gulls always in San Diego.
For Shea Theodore, this routine was a way of life during the 2016-17 season.
Theodore played in 34 games for Anaheim, 26 for San Diego and was constantly in motion, before being acquired by the Golden Knights as part of a larger transaction during the Expansion Draft.

Watch: Youtube Video
It was 10 calls up to Anaheim, which was good for 19 Anaheim-San Diego drives in a span of six months. About 90 miles each way.
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Which despite the optics it presents, was as much a product of circumstances as it had anything to do with the 22-year-old, former first-round pick's performance.
"Even if they said you're going to play one or two games and it's because of cap reasons, it's definitely tough on the mental side of it," Theodore said. "When you're feeling like you're playing well and should stay there, but there's cap issues and you're going down, it's tough."
Although Theodore looks to be an important part of the Golden Knights' future, he's still living in a hotel in Las Vegas, until he's told he's made the NHL roster. Rotating between an apartment he shared with three teammates in San Diego and a hotel in Anaheim, plus hotels on the road last season, this has kind of been Theodore's routine as of late.
Considering all of the players in town for Rookie Camp, plus many of the players trying to make the Golden Knights in the team's regular training camp, are in similar situations right now, this isn't necessarily a call for sympathy for Theodore.
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Especially as players of varying skill levels for all 31 NHL franchises are going through the same thing this month.
Although with Theodore being such a veteran of hotel life, he has four pieces of advice for pro hockey players living in hotels. The best ways to feel at home on the road, so to speak.

1. Make Sure You Get Your Own Hotel Points
Theodore capitalized on his constant movement during the 2016-17 season to take his girlfriend on an all-expenses vacation over the summer.
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"I saved my hotel points," Theodore said. "I took a trip with my girlfriend in the summer, all expenses paid, to Whistler, BC. It was a drive from Vancouver. We had one of the nicest rooms in the place for four days. Everything was paid for, just based on the points."
2. Be Nice To The Hotel Staff
Where most vacationers spend a couple days in the same hotel at the most, players staying in the same hotel long-term should become better acquainted with the hotel staff.
"They'd give us rides," Theodore said.
Watch: Youtube Video
3. Lay off the cookies
Anyone who has ever traveled knows that it can be difficult to eat healthy when on vacation. For players who live in hotels, this means those same temptations are around 24/7.
"At the DoubleTree, they're famous for their cookies and whatnot," Theodore said. "I tried to stay away, because I was there 6-7 months."
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4. Buy A Mini Fridge
"You've got your milks and the boxes of cereal, so you can have a makeshift quarter of a kitchen beside your bed," Theodore said. "That's the biggest thing.
"Besides, the snacks in the room. If you lift the snacks off the timer's there for 45 seconds, you're getting charged."