(Image Credit: Steve Dunsmoor)

By Regan Bartel

Quietly entering record books

Mazden Leslie’s 250th point puts him among WHL’s elite

Mar 9, 2026 | 12:01 PM

Most teenagers don’t spend much time reflecting on what they’ve accomplished.

That’s something older people tend to do.

So when Kelowna Rockets defenceman Mazden Leslie reached a milestone that only a handful of players in Western Hockey League history have ever touched, the reaction was exactly what you might expect from a 20-year-old.

Low key. Matter-of-fact. Almost understated.

But make no mistake, the achievement is anything but ordinary.

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With a goal Saturday night in a 9-2 win over the Victoria Royals, Leslie recorded the 250th point of his WHL career, becoming just the 13th defenceman in league history to reach that plateau. For a league that has produced thousands of blueliners since its inception, that statistic alone tells the story.

When the milestone was mentioned to Leslie a day later, even he had to pause for a moment.

“It’s kind of crazy to think about now,” Leslie admitted. “You’re not thinking about it when you’re playing, but looking back on it, it’s pretty cool.”

Then, like most players his age, he quickly downplayed it.

The journey to 250 started years ago in the most fitting place imaginable, against the Kelowna Rockets.

Back then, Leslie was a 15-year-old breaking into the WHL with the Vancouver Giants, riding the emotional high that comes with a debut few players ever experience.

“In your first game, you’re probably on a high after scoring two goals,” he said about his debut in the COVID Bubble season when he scored twice against the team he currently plays with. “But I never thought much about what could happen years down the road. It’s been cool.”

Cool might be an understatement.

Two hundred and fifty points from the blue line requires a rare combination of instincts, opportunity, durability and offensive confidence. It also requires time, something Leslie has earned through years of consistent play in the WHL.

Still, milestones like this often mean more to everyone around the player than they do to the player himself.

Ask Leslie about the specifics of his career checkpoints, the 100th point, the 150th, the 200th, and you won’t get much of a history lesson.

He simply doesn’t keep track.

“I remember getting 200 [points] this year because it just happened,” he said. “But I don’t remember 100 or anything like that. I remember my first goal, obviously. That’s about it.”

Saturday’s milestone marker, however, did come with a bit of style.

The play itself was anything but routine.

Leslie took a pass from teammate Tij Iginla but didn’t have a clear shooting lane on his forehand. Instead of forcing it, he improvised, slipping the puck between his legs to change the angle before backhanding a quick shot toward the net.

“Iggy (Iginla) passed it to me, and I didn’t have a shot on my forehand,” Leslie explained. “So I popped it through my legs, moved it to my backhand and got it five hole. It was just a reaction play.”

Reactionary or not, it was a highlight-reel moment and a fitting way to hit a historic mark.

After the game, Leslie and teammate Ty Halaburda even found themselves looking at the WHL record books to see where he stood among the league’s all-time scoring defencemen.

“Bird (Halaburda) and I were looking at it last night,” Leslie said. “Our coach from last year is ahead of me, so Bird sent him a message.”

That coach was former Giants bench boss Manny Viveiros, who sits roughly 100 points ahead on the all-time list.

“He’s about 100 points ahead of me,” Leslie said with a laugh.

That gap likely won’t be closed in the Rockets’ final handful of games, but Leslie’s place in WHL history is secure regardless.

What makes the milestone even more impressive is how his offensive production has evolved over the course of this season in Kelowna.

If you split the schedule into halves, Leslie’s second-half surge has been dramatic. His point production has climbed as the Rockets have battled for playoff position.

Why the change?

Part of it, he says, is simply feeling more comfortable in a new environment.

“Getting comfortable has helped,” Leslie explained. “We’ve made some trades, and getting healthy with more guys in the lineup helped too. I’ve gotten more comfortable here, and I think that’s helped my overall game.”

Earlier in the season, Leslie also made a conscious effort to sharpen the defensive side of his game, something that may have temporarily muted his offensive instincts.

“Yeah, probably,” he admitted. “I focused on that a little more early on and tried to put everything together later.”

Now the balance seems to be returning.

And the points have followed.

For an overager in his final WHL season, that production matters, even if the team goals still come first.

“You always want to put up numbers,” Leslie said. “Even though it’s not the most important thing, it’s always fun when it happens.”

Sunday also carried another layer of significance.

The Rockets were in Langley to face the Vancouver Giants, the very building where Leslie’s WHL career first began.

The Langley Events Centre has been a familiar stop for years, but this visit marks the final time he’ll play there as a WHL player.

“It’s cool,” Leslie said. “Bird (Ty Halaburda) and I were talking about it, our last time here. We were joking about it a bit.”

One chapter closing.

Another milestone has already been written into league history.