Bellies Win in Langley: 2nd Place in Sight with A Home Win to Close Season

TALE of the TAPE: New Westminster Salmonbellies vs. Langley Thunder

Queen’s Park Arena July 24, 2025

The playoff race is white hot, and while the New Westminster Salmonbellies no longer control their own fate, there’s still a clear and exciting path to second place. But it’ll take a win Thursday over the Langley Thunder, plus a little help from Victoria on Saturday when they visit Coquitlam.

The first leg of this week’s critical home-and-home series versus the Thunder went New West’s way Wednesday night at the Langley Events Centre with a 13–8 victory. It was just the second meeting between these clubs since May 29, when the Salmonbellies nearly doubled up the Thunder 17–9. Much has changed since then, not least of which was New Westminster acquiring goaltender Frank Scigliano from Langley, and it was #92 who earned the win in his old barn. The Bellies had most of their regulars back and Tye Kurtz stood out amongst them with 2 goals and 5 assists, earning first star honours. Mitch Jones kept up his torrid scoring pace with 3 goals, including an impressive no-look underhanded backhander (Ed: There has to be an easier name for that). Haiden Dickson increased his league lead in the goal column with one more, plus two helpers. Logan Schuss had two and so did Nathan Henare (his first two of the season, earning him third star) in transition. Jeff Henrick was also back in the lineup and helped out at both ends of the floor. Adam Wiedemanseems to have fully recovered from his injury, but there was still no sign of Tyler Pace.

The Thunder are officially out of the playoff picture, currently sitting fifth with 10 points and officially eliminated, but don’t expect them to roll over in their last game of the year. With pride on the line, Langley would love nothing more than to play spoiler and put a dent in their rivals’ postseason hopes.

That said, they’re coming to town on a five-game skid, hampered by an anemic 7.9 goals-per-game average, a -51 goal differential, and a struggling power play at 25%. At 66%, their penalty kill is more respectable, and so are a few standout individual performances:

Chase Scanlon is the only Thunder player to suit up for every game this year, producing consistently with 3.5 points per game (28 goals, 31 assists).

Connor Robinson, a familiar face for junior Salmonbellies fans, has 46 points in 13 games, including 16 goals, but he was absent in last night’s game.

Jon Phillips has been efficient and dangerous, with 20 goals in just 13 games, including a hat trick Wednesday night.

Ethan M’lot has more than doubled his scoring pace since being traded from Maple Ridge, now averaging 3.0 points per game for Langley.

Goaltending has been a challenge for the Thunder, with much of the season backstopped by two junior call-ups. The Khan brothers—Marcus (1 game) and Caleb (15 games, 5 wins)—have carried the crease, but it was Nate Faccin, acquired at the trade deadline, who saw action in Wednesday’s home game.

By comparison, the Salmonbellies are on a four-game win streak and appear to be peaking at just the right time. With a +40 goal differential and a 10.6 goals-per-game average, their numbers speak for themselves.

They lead the league with a lethal 46% power play, paired with a 68% penalty kill. Between the pipes, both Frank Scigliano and Justin Geddie are in top form, coming off strong wins last week, including a big road victory at Victoria’s Q Centre.

Offensively, the Salmonbellies are loaded:

Mitch Jones leads the league with 83 points, including 45 assists and a staggering 5.2 goals per game.

Haiden Dickson leads the league with 42 goals, averaging 4.3 points per game.

Will Malcom is finding form at the right time, with 39 points (15 goals), but wasn’t dressed last night.

Tyler Pace had an explosive start to the season, averaging 4.1 points per game, but has been out of the lineup recently. His return would be a major boost.

Logan Schuss, who has been coaching the Delta Islanders in the junior playoffs, is back now that their series is over and he demonstrated his familiar scoring touch twice last night.

Tye Kurtz, now five games into his return, is averaging 3.6 points per game.

Noah Armitage, with 13 games played, is hitting his stride and scoring in bunches.

Phil Caputo, another recent addition, has 10 points in 4 games (2.5 points per game).

Some might argue that finishing second or third doesn’t matter much, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.

If Victoria finishes first, they’ll face Maple Ridge in Round 1, forcing the Burrards into repeated island travel. That would leave New Westminster to square off against Coquitlam, a team that swept the season series 3–0. But there’s nothing that fires up a Salmonbellie like facing an Adanac. A team with something to prove could thrive in that series, especially when every game is just a short drive away for fans.

New West in second place would also mean home-floor advantage and that could also be a major factor. The bounces on the wood floor at Queen’s Park Arena are vastly different from the concrete at Poirier or the Q Centre, and the home crowd is always our X-factor.

Finally, momentum is everything. Finishing with another win will give our lineup critical team confidence. With so many players added over the latter part of the year, building team rhythm is huge and that’s exactly what the Bellies seem to be doing.

This Thursday night, we need everyone in the building—loud, proud and wearing red. Let’s help our boys finish strong and make their last regular season push a memorable one.

Photo: Langley Thunder