Kelowna, B.C.- The Rockets are fueling up ahead of hosting the 2026 Memorial Cup.
Kelowna has acquired 2025 WHL Defenceman of the Year finalist Mazden Leslie from the Vancouver Giants in exchange for a first-round pick in the 2028 WHL Prospects Draft and a third-round pick in 2026.
“Mazden is a player we are very familiar with,” Rockets Assistant General Manager Curtis Hamilton said. “He’s a defenceman who does a little bit of everything and his compete is never in question. We look forward to working with him and are hopeful that we will see him in a Rockets jersey next season.”
Leslie, 20, is coming off an explosive season in his first year as Captain of the G-men.
The 6-foot-1, 202-pound right-shot rearguard potted 21 goals (including two game-winners) and 51 assists for 72 points in 66 games in the regular season.
Leslie is tied with Kevin Connauton (2009-10) for the single-season points record by a Giants defenceman.
He finished second among all WHL blueliners in points and goals, tied for sixth among all skaters in powerplay goals (14) and ranked second on Vancouver in scoring, snagging a spot on the 2024-25 WHL Western Conference First All-Star Team for the first time in his career.
The Lloydminster, Alta. product was named Tempo WHL Player of the Week on October 15, 2024, after a putting up six points (1G-5A) in three road games.
He’s eligible for the 2025 NHL Entry Draft and is ranked 133rd among all North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting in the agency’s final rankings.
Leslie has also previously attended training camps with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Vegas Golden Knights as a free agent.
Originally selected by the Giants with the 10th overall pick in the 2020 WHL Prospects Draft, Leslie has steadily improved to become a reliable defender who can fill the net.
He’s suited up for 280 regular-season contests over five seasons, piling up 57 goals and 133 assists for 190 points.
Leslie holds the franchise record for all-time goals by a defenceman, sits second in all-time blueliner points and ranks third in assists by a defender.
The Giants named him the 22nd Captain in team history in October of 2024, having served as an alternate the season prior.
He’s also chipped in eight points (2G-6A) in 21 postseason matches.
Leslie joins a Kelowna team that’s aiming to make some noise as they host the 106th Memorial Cup in May of 2026.
The move comes weeks after the Rockets traded for San Jose Sharks prospect and former Calgary Hitmen Captain Carson Wetsch, a 30-goal scorer who also led the WHL in game-winning strikes (10) in 2024-25.
Kelowna is hosting the Memorial Cup for the second time in team history, having previously won the CHL’s top prize when it hosted in 2004.
