Memorial Cup host Kelowna Rockets recruit Mazden Leslie away from NCAA
The conditions on the picks in the trade, according to the Giants, are tied to Leslie reporting to Kelowna, so both selections become Vancouver's property when he plays his first game with the Rockets.
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Leslie was passed over in the NHL Draft for a third straight time this year. He is slated to attend the Vegas Golden Knights' training camp this fall as a free agent. He went to Golden Knights development camp earlier this summer. He took part in their training camp last season.
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The Golden Knights could sign him as a free agent, but considering general manager Kelly McCrimmon's close ties to the WHL — he's a former owner/operator of the Brandon Wheat Kings — Leslie would almost certainly be reassigned to the Rockets with the Memorial Cup run in mind.
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Something similar happened to the Giants in their Memorial Cup host season of 2006-07 with defenceman Brett Festerling, who had a free-agent contract with the Anaheim Ducks but was sent back to back to Vancouver instead of playing minor pro.
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Leslie has played 280 regular season games with the Giants, which ties him with winger Mitch Bartley (2002-06) for sixth on the team's all-time list. Defenceman Neil Manning (2006-12) has the Giants' record for games played with 310, and Leslie would have shattered that if he came back to Vancouver this season.
Leslie is 10th in career regular season points (190) in team history as well.
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His first game against Vancouver on the visiting side at the Langley Events Centre comes Nov. 1, when the Rockets make their first of three trips there to face the Giants next season.
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See you in September, Mazden!
The former Giants captain has announced he's heading to the @Kelowna_Rockets for the 2025-26 WHL Season.
📝 | https://t.co/MCPG5p6Ku8 pic.twitter.com/Yp1X0sk7DV
— Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) July 15, 2025
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Vancouver had told the Giants that he was looking for a change in scenery in his bid to advance to pro hockey. The Giants could have held onto his rights to see if he would return to junior at some point from Bowling Green this season, but it's doubtful they would got more than a package featuring a first-round draft pick for one-year player.
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Kelowna is looking to build up their roster after their 18-44-4-2 finish last season. They've brought in former Giants head coach Don Hay to be an assistant to Derrick Martin. Hay will likely be in charge of working with the defencemen.
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Vancouver had changed up its staff as well, naming Hnat Domenichelli as general manager and Parker Burgess as coach last month. Domenichelli takes over from Barclay Parneta, who agreed to part ways with the team in April, and Burgess succeeds Manny Viveiros, who left for a pro job in Austria in May.
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Vancouver finished 34-26-8-0 last season and finished in sixth spot in the Western Conference. They lost to the Spokane Chiefs in the first round of the playoffs.
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