Buffalo has been considered a hockey town since the Buffalo Sabres entered the National Hockey League in the fall of 1970.
A love affair between the Buffalo sports fans and the Sabres began building from the outset. From the flash and dash of the first Sabre Gilbert Perreault, a first playoff series appearance in 1972-73, and a Stanley Cup Final berth in 1975, the team quickly became part of the fabric of the Western New York community.
After decades as a strong franchise in the league, the team fell on hard times beginning in 2012, amassing a league record for futility, missing the playoffs in fourteen consecutive seasons. The Sabres are currently experiencing a return to meaningful play in the 25-26 season.
The club is currently on the cusp of ending its record-setting playoff drought this season. The Sabres are in a postseason position with just 25 regular-season games remaining.
After many years of declining attendance numbers at the KeyBank Center, the fan base is once again energized.
Home game sellouts have returned, the team is entertaining, and the competitive hockey the fans have been longing for is back in downtown Buffalo, after far too many seasons away.
The turnaround began with a 10-game winning streak in December and a move from the bottom of the Standings to having a playoff invite within reach.
There is concern that a pause of the NHL season could have a negative impact. But along with the Sabres’ unexpected run, fans of the team now have an eye on the events in Milano-Cortina, Italy as well.
Two of Buffalo’s elite players, Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin, are top contributors in the Winter Olympic Games.
Through three games played in the best on best International Tournament, Thompson has delivered two goals for the undefeated team USA squad, while Sabres Captain Rasmus Dahlin has tallied a goal and added three assists from the blueline for team Sweden.
With the Sabres’ representation performing very well in the Olympics, strong play from Team USA, and a 25-game charge toward the NHL playoffs just ahead, the Sabres are once again relevant in the league, and hockey is once again front of mind in Buffalo, New York.
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