Vancouver Giants name Mazden Leslie captain

Vancouver, B.C. – The Vancouver Giants announced today that Mazden Leslie (Lloydminster, AB) has been named the 22nd captain in franchise history.

Alongside Leslie, leading the Giants this season as alternate captains will be Ty Halaburda (Victoria, B.C.) and Connor Levis (Vancouver, B.C.). The three have more than 600 combined games of WHL experience.

“We are thrilled to name Mazden Leslie as the next captain of the Vancouver Giants – someone who has already played more than 200 games in this league and has learned from some great role models here in Vancouver, including Alex Kannok-Leipert, Justin Sourdif, Zack Ostapchuk, Ty Thorpe and Samuel Honzek,” Giants General Manager Barclay Parneta said. “Alongside Ty and Connor, this trio each brings something unique to the table and we’re excited to see where they lead us this season.”

Leslie, 19, was one of four players to wear an ‘A’ last season. Originally selected by the Giants with the 10th overall pick in the 2020 WHL Prospects Draft, Leslie has played more games in a Giants uniform than anyone on the roster (215) and is coming off a 14-goal, 44-point season. The mobile defenceman currently sits eighth on the Giants all-time scoring list for d-men, with 118 career points (36G-82A). He is five points shy of entering the top-5.

“It’s an honour to be named captain of the Vancouver Giants,” Leslie said. “I’d like to thank Giants management, coaches and teammates, as well as Ron Toigo, Sultan Thiara and the rest of Giants ownership for trusting me with this tremendous honour. I’ve had the pleasure of playing for some tremendous captains including Alex Kannok-Leipert, Justin Sourdif, Zack Ostapchuk, Ty Thorpe and most recently Samuel Honzek, and I look forward to following in their footsteps.”

Introducing our 2024-25 Giants Leadership Group 🫡 pic.twitter.com/cEBnu2YMpQ

— Vancouver Giants (@WHLGiants) October 4, 2024

Halaburda, 19, was also an alternate captain last year, and is entering his fourth WHL season with Vancouver. Last year, the 5-foot-11, 187-pound forward tied for the team lead in points with 66 (21G-45A), which was a new career-high. In 180 career games, Halaburda has tallied 121 points (48G-73A).

Levis, 20, was a mid-season acquisition last year by the Giants, and previously was an assistant captain with the Kamloops Blazers. The Winnipeg Jets draft pick tallied 14 goals and added 13 assists for 27 points in 28 games with Vancouver after the trade. In 224 career games, Levis has produced 178 points (76G-102A).

“This is a very deserving honour for all three young men, each of whom knows what it takes to win in our league,” Giants Head Coach Manny Viveiros added. “Mazden, Ty and Connor combine strong on-ice ability with an incredible work ethic, and they all command the respect of our locker room by leading in different ways.”

The Giants are next in action tonight, Friday, October 4, when they host the Kamloops Blazers at the Langley Events Centre at 7 p.m. For tickets, click here. After Friday’s home game, the Giants embark on a five-game road trip through the Central Division, which begins on Sunday afternoon in Calgary.