Giants Get 4 Players Back from NHL Training Camps
Ladner, B.C. – The Vancouver Giants are pleased to announce that four players have been returned to the team for the 2024-25 season after attended NHL main camps this past weekend.
On Sunday, the Vancouver Canucks announced that 19-year-old forward Ty Halaburda had been released from his amateur tryout agreement, giving the Giants their top point producer from 2023-24. The Victoria native was a free agent invite to the Young Stars Classic in Penticton and was then invited to Canucks Main Camp over the weekend.
Halaburda was tied for the Giants lead in both points (66) and power play points (17) last season with Jaden Lipinski. He finished the year with 22 points in his final 18 games (6G-16A) and was the only Giant to appear in all 68 games. Additionally, Halaburda recorded five shorthanded points – which was just outside the top-10 in the WHL – and three game-winning-goals, as well as two shootout goals, one of which was a game-winner.
On Monday morning, the San Jose Sharks announced that they had reduced their roster by 13 players, which included sending 18-year-old defenceman Colton Roberts back to the Giants.
Roberts was a fifth-round selection by the Sharks in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft this past summer. The 6-foot-4, 200 lb. blueliner finished second in points among Giants defencemen last season with 27 points in 62 games, including seven goals. His 27 points were fifth among all WHL defencemen age 17 or younger.
On Monday afternoon, the Vegas Golden Knights announced they had assigned six players to their junior teams, which included 19-year-old defenceman Mazden Leslie. The Lloydminster, Alta. product was a free agent invite by the Golden Knights for the Rookie Faceoff and to Training Camp.
In the 2023-24 season, Leslie led all Giants defencemen in scoring for the second consecutive time, scoring 14 goals and adding 30 assists for 44 points. His 14 goals were tied for 10th amongst all WHL defencemen, while his five game-winning-goals were tied for the most amongst all D-men. Twenty-seven of his 44 points came at even-strength. Leslie led all Giants in ice-time with close to 26 minutes per game last season, playing in all situations.
On Tuesday, the Winnipeg Jets announced they had released five players to their junior teams, which included 20-year-old forward Connor Levis.
The Vancouver native was drafted by the Jets in the seventh round of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft. Last season, the Giants acquired Levis from the Kamloops Blazers at the Trade Deadline. He would go on to score 14 goals and add 13 assists for 27 points in 28 games with the G-Men, and then recorded three assists in five playoff games. In his career, Levis has 178 points (76G-102A) in 223 career games.
It’s expected that all three players will be in the lineup on Friday when the Giants welcome the Prince George Cougars to the Langley Events Centre. CLICK HERE to grab your tickets.
